Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi reassured Enemalta employees this evening that a Nationalist government was not looking at reducing jobs through the ongoing reform at the corporation.
Addressing a large group of employees at the Excelsior hotel, Dr Gonzi emphasized the importance of their role and Enemalta's strategic importance to the country.
"You offer a service of strategic importance to the country. Every new hotel or company that opens means we need more energy," he said.
The government, he added, was not seeing a need to cut jobs. The workers offered a good quality service and the government want to improve it.
Dr Gonzi said the Labour Party's energy proposals made the wrong choices.
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech pointed out that the Labour Party's proposals put Enemalta workers' jobs at risk because Labour was planning to close the old Delimara power station and replace it by another power station operated by the private sector.
One employee, Frank Buttigieg, said that people were being given promotions while others were being forced to work lower grades, saying it was "blackmail" and possibly corruption.
"What is this reform? he asked.
Mr Fenech said that any corruption should be reported and those reporting it would be protected.
He said the reform involved the whole energy sector. It came at a price with wider responsibilities but better wages and more flexibility by the workers.
Replying to questions about the shift allowance, Mr Fenech said that he had intervened during the talks on the reform to ensure that it would not be touched. Those working in generation of electricity would still work on a shift but conditions might change, he said. However, around 200 employees were expected to reach retirement age over the next three years so "there is a solution".
Turning to the privatisation of the Petroleum Division, Mr Fenech said it was a long and complicated process that was not going to end soon. The workers were expected to remain there, especially since there already was a shortage of employees in that section, he said.