Gonzi all but rules out meeting unions

The Prime Minister was non-committal on the possibility of a meeting with unions to discuss the new energy bills, even though the prospect of a meeting is bleak.

Eleven unions, contesting the way the tariffs have been worked out, had given Dr Gonzi till today to meet them to discuss their queries and even called on consumers not to rush to pay their bills.

As their ultimatum expires today, with a vague threat of further action, the Office of the Prime Minister did not give a direct reply when asked whether Lawrence Gonzi would rule out the meeting but reiterated that the unions should consult the regulator about their queries.

The unions, which include the General Workers Union, the Malta Union of Teachers and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, will be meeting again this morning to discuss their next step. They are adamant that it is the PM they want to meet, pointing out that the regulator, the Malta Resources Authority, was never present during previous meetings they have had with the Prime Minister on the tariffs.

They stressed that the regulator had a technical role that should have been fulfilled before the new bills were announced and not afterwards.

But the OPM stuck to its position, saying that the authority does not only have a technical function but is duty bound to promote consumer rights.

The unions are questioning the number of people which the government estimates will benefit from eco-reductions on their bills. A study they commissioned from economist Edward Scicluna shows that a substantial number of people, including one- and two-person households, most of whom are pensioners, would be excluded.

Labour leader Joseph Muscat kept up his own pressure on Wednesday evening, accusing Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt of not keeping his word on when the electricity tariffs would be revised.

Dr Muscat recalled that Dr Gatt had stated that tariffs would be revised every six months or immediately when international oil prices varied by more than 15 per cent. The Opposition Leader pointed out that since October, the international oil price had gone down by more than 15 per cent but the tariffs have not been revised.

Dr Muscat said Labour had hoped the government would see sense over Christmas and revise the tariffs. But instead it started sending the new bills.

He argued that according to the oil price in December, the surcharge should have been reduced to 35 per cent. Yet, the people are being charged the equivalent of 185 percent.

This, he said, was institutional theft aimed only at helping the government narrow its budget deficit and hide its inefficiencies.