Unions' proposals accepted, UĦM says

The government has "gone back to what the unions had first proposed" on the revision of the energy bills, the general secretary of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, Gejtu Vella said yesterday as other trade unions adopted a more cautious stand.

During a conference on the effect of climate change on employment, Mr Vella said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had sent trade unions a four-page document with counterproposals, which were in line with their requests.

The document follows a two-session meeting between Dr Gonzi and trade unions on Saturday when both parties emerged confident that a solution to the impasse about the new tariffs would be found.

Last week, trade unions presented Dr Gonzi with nine proposals that included a revision of the consumption ceiling, ditching the rise on the electricity meter charge and for the new rates to be implemented from January, rather than retroactively from October.

A jubilant Mr Vella yesterday said the document sent by Dr Gonzi indicated that the government was accepting proposals made by the UĦM and the other trade unions on the utility tariffs.

"Why did we have to go to the streets for this to happen," he asked in a heartfelt speech, which received resounding applause.

The General Workers' Union and the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions (CMTU) were more cautious in their reactions.

CMTU president William Portelli said that while at first glance the new proposals seemed acceptable, he had to consult with the confederation's member unions.

When asked about the proposals, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said the government had sent unions a document that reflected Saturday's discussions.

Sources said the GWU may be still unhappy with the new set of proposals. It is understood the union believed the increased consumption ceiling for reduced rates - from the originally proposed 1,500 units to 1,750 units per person - was still not enough.

When contacted, GWU general secretary Tony Zarb would only say the union was still evaluating the document.

In their proposals, the unions had asked the government to raise the ceiling to 1,800 units for each person in a household. But the sources said the increased consumption ceiling would mean that about 73 per cent of the Maltese would benefit from the reduced rate of electricity, even if their consumption patterns did not change.

The Forum Unions Maltin, made up of a number of trade unions, is expected to meet this morning to discuss the new proposals.

The Malta Union of Teachers said yesterday it has not received the document.