Trade unions still awaiting PM's reply

The Prime Minister has not yet replied to a letter sent last week by 11 trade unions asking for clarifications about the water and electricity tariffs, the unions said yesterday.

In a fresh letter to Lawrence Gonzi, which was also circulated to the media, the unions asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister to continue discussing the issue.

On December 10, the unions, which are opposing the new energy bills, had written to Dr Gonzi questioning the number of people benefitting from the eco reduction. They insisted that, according to a study commissioned by them, the eco reduction would exclude a substantial number of people, including one-and two-person households, most of whom are pensioners.

A few days earlier they had accused Dr Gonzi of twisting figures and blowing the percentage of families that would benefit from the eco reduction scheme out of proportion.

The government had said that 73 per cent of families would benefit from the scheme because they consumed less than 1,700 units per family member. But the unions argued that the figure included summer residences, vacant houses and even garages with electricity meters. They urged the government to reconsider and give them a positive reply.

The letter was signed by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, Malta Union of Teachers, General Workers' Union, Union of Cabin Crew, Union Ħaddiema Bank Ċentrali, Union Technical and Clerical Mepa, Union Professjonisti Awtoritá għall-Ambjent u Ppjanar, University of Malta Academic Staff Association, Airline Pilots Association, Union Periti u Nġiniera Servizz Pubbliku and Association of Airline Engineers.

When contacted, a spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister said the union's letter will be answered.

Yesterday, the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU stressed that the new water and electricity tariffs need to be changed as soon as possible. It said that while all of Europe is reducing petrol, diesel, gas and electricity prices to curb inflation, Malta is doing the opposite.

"The new tariffs will undoubtedly deal a deathblow to jobs. Nobody knows the drastic effects which the increase in tariffs will have," it said, adding that, with the support of European social partners, it was prepared to take all the necessary steps to ensure that the government revised the tariffs.

The GRTU's executive council will be meeting in the coming days to approve directives for its members, although the GRTU stopped short of saying what the directives would consist of.