Petrol stations, including automatic pumps, will be open between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday and not for 24 hours unless the authorities meet owners' demands for a higher commission.
Carlo Cini, who heads the petrol station owners’ section, said the filling station owners had resolved to take industrial action if Enemalta and the Malta Resources Authority did not meet their demands by Monday.
He said that if the owners did not get a positive reply from Enemalta and the MRA they would take other steps to increase pressure.
It was possible, he said, that as early as Tuesday, petrol station attendants would not turn up for work, with the pumps constantly on automatic settings. If the situation persisted and no developments were reported, the stations would close down completely.
“We are taking things step by step not to inconvenience the public,” he added. The owners, who have been in talks with Enemalta since July, are demanding an extra 3c2 per litre of fuel sold. They want a 1.1c increase in their profit and a further 2c1 to go towards the refurbishment of the 89 stations spread across the country.
They make a profit of 5c1 per litre, a margin revised every three years, with an upward increase generally reflecting the cost of fuel, which is regulated by the Malta Resources Authority. It was last fixed in 2007 and the owners say the 1c1 increase in profit would cover higher costs, mainly in wages and utilities, they envisage over the next three years. On top of this, petrol stations must meet EU standards by 2020 and their refurbishment costs are estimated at about €25 million. A fund previously set up by Enemalta for this purpose was only estimated to have added up to €4 million by July.
“We are barely getting by with what we have, let alone coping with the refurbishment costs,” Mr Cini said yesterday, pointing out that most workers had to get by on minimum wage.
In the past, Enemalta used to maintain the petrol pumps and underground storage tanks and do other necessary work but it was then agreed the owners would take on the tasks themselves. In return, the corporation would contribute 0c5 for every litre sold towards the fund for the stations’ upkeep. This, however, was “unilaterally suspended” by Enemalta in January and the stations are asking for the 0c5 contribution to be re-introduced and for the addition of another 2c1 on top of that.
In June, petrol station owners were up in arms over a letter they received from Enemalta informing them about a 1c6 rise in the wholesale price of fuel. They complained this would squeeze their profit margin and the increase was withdrawn after they threatened to strike.
In October, they presented a report to the MRA to back up their demand for a higher profit.