Unions and employers want to discuss the new water and electricity tariffs and find a way of lessening the impact on workers and industry.
The social partners who sit on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development said when contacted yesterday they wanted an urgent MCESD meeting to discuss the matter.
On Thursday, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and the Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise had requested that the MCESD convene urgently on the new rates. MHRA president George Micallef said the new rates would increase hotels' water and electricity costs by between 18 and 50 per cent.
He warned that with falling revenues and rising costs, including the cost-of-living adjustment of €5.82 a week per employee, further increases in operating costs were "simply unsustainable", adding that "the first thing that will be put at risk is employment".
The MHRA's request for an urgent MCESD meeting was immediately endorsed by the Malta Chamber for Small Businesses, GRTU.
All other social partners agreed the issue had to be discussed at MCESD level.
General Workers' Union general secretary Tony Zarb said his union wholeheartedly supported the MHRA's request, although he said the time had now come for the social partners to take action.
He said the GWU and another 10 unions had never given up their fight against the high tariffs introduced in October last year.
"We are not prepared to discuss without anything being done," he said. He insisted the people needed more money in their pockets, rather than bigger bills.
The Malta Employers Association was four-square behind the hotels association with director general Joseph Farrugia saying he would go one step further and request a meeting with the Prime Minister.
Chamber of Commerce director general Kevin Borg said his organisation had also written to the MCESD requesting an urgent meeting.
Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin general secretary Gejtu Vella said the social partners had to ensure that the one-time energy compensation to households would be implemented. He also said companies facing difficulties could be assisted through the €2.5 million fund, also announced in the Budget.
William Portelli, president of the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions said if the hotels were feeling the pinch of the energy prices, then he would support the MHRA's request for an urgent meeting "as the tourism industry had to be protected".
When contacted, MCESD chairman Sonny Portelli said he had to contact the council's members individually before deciding whether to convene the urgent meeting.