Unions dilute directive to consumers not to pay electricity bills

The 11 unions which were objecting to the sharp rise in electricity tariffs have directed consumers to pay only those bills which are based on the actual, and not estimated, reading.

They also urged consumers to take the full 45 days permitted by law to pay up.

The move follows the recent downward revision in tariffs which the unions, however, think is still not enough.

The unions have actually retreated from their previous, harsher directive which was not to pay the bills at all.

They yesterday criticised the Malta Resources Authority for accepting the revisions in electricity bills as proposed by Enemalta, saying they expected the tariffs to be set even lower.

The regulator approved the new tariffs last week, more than a month after Enemalta announced price reductions of between 22 and 26 per cent.

The unions insisted that the reductions were still not enough to alleviate the burden imposed on consumers when the tariffs were increased exorbitantly last year.

Still, they claimed credit for the minimal reduction in electricity bills, which they said was the result of the continuous pressure they put on the authorities.

"Had all the unions remained united the burden on consumers would have been alleviated by much more," they said.

The unions also accused the regulator of treating people like "imbeciles" when it agreed to the water tariffs remaining at the same level instead of falling in line with the drop in the price of oil used to generate the electricity consumed by the reverse osmosis plants.

"As expected, the regulator agreed with everything that government said on the water and electricity tariffs. The regulator is not understanding the hardship inflicted on people by the high tariffs," the unions said.

The group of 11 unions, which includes the GWU, the Malta Union for Midwives and Nurses and the Malta Union of Teachers, had continued to oppose the bills, which were substantially higher than what consumers were paying last year with the surcharge at 95 per cent.

The Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin and the CMTU had broken ranks after a meeting all the unions had with the Prime Minister.

Last week the UĦM welcomed the reductions. It said the revision was in line with what was agreed between the Prime Minister and the unions in November.

The UĦM said it expected the reductions to have a positive impact on inflation.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com