PM ready to meet unions
Room for tweaking of tariffs but no overhaul
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has voiced his willingness to meet trade union representatives to discuss the water and electricity rates as long as talks revolve around giving incentives to energy savers.
"I want to listen to their suggestions for tariffs which incentivise those who are careful not to waste," he said yesterday morning.
Contacted shortly after Dr Gonzi's address at the PN club in Sliema, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech would not confirm whether the government is preparing any revision to the tariff plan announced in the past weeks and repeated the Prime Minister's pledge to listen to the union's proposals.
However, when pressed he said that while there is room for tweaking and reassessing how certain categories can be helped further, the government is not planning to "overhaul" the system as set out.
When the tariffs package was announced by the Finance Minister and Investments Minister Austin Gatt on October 29, the latter stressed that the package was final. However, following increased pressure from the social partners and last Friday's protest when 20 trade unions put up a common front for the first time, the government made known it was ready to consider adjustments.
The unions have demanded that the government return to the negotiation table.
Yesterday Dr Gonzi said "of course" he would meet the unions, "with pleasure", adding that unions have always come forth with concrete proposals.
But he added that there was no way he would accept a situation that allowed people to continue wasting energy.
"Unions cannot ask to keep everything as it is. We need to eliminate waste and incentivise those who opt for alternative energy."
Referring to next year's budget as a delicate exercise, Dr Gonzi said the authorities were not fortune tellers who knew what the future held. "We need to be careful to think ahead and prepare for future needs," he said, referring to the international financial crisis.