Enemalta's strike-breaking action to distribute gas on hired trailers, to counteract a protest of gas distributors, could have resulted in an indefinite strike had the Government not intervened, according to the director general of the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU, Vince Farrugia.
Gas distribution will return to normal as from tomorrow after an agreement on commission paid to gas distributors this year was reached yesterday morning and negotiations to solve a dispute over commission between 2006 and 2007 are back on track.
On Friday, the GRTU instructed distributors not to sell gas from fixed points in various localities yesterday in protest against delays by Enemalta to adjust its commission.
Mr Farrugia explained that the formula for the adjustment of the commission was agreed a long time ago and was based on salaries, fuel, maintenance and insurance costs.
The necessary adjustment requested by the gas distributors must cover the period from January 1, 2006, as distributors had since then suffered a major rise in costs, notably fuel.
Mr Farrugia said that the gas distributors - there are 33, some of whom employ people, bringing the number to about 120 - had been waiting for Enemalta's reply on the subject.
A meeting scheduled for last Friday was called off as Enemalta's chief officer was unwell and the financial controller did not have the necessary documents in hand.
Consequently, Mr Farrugia said, the GRTU felt it had been taken for a ride and called the "symbolic protest". But then, he said, Enemalta resorted to an unacceptable strike-breaking action.
Enemalta had said it felt the commission increases requested by the GRTU - €0.25 per cylinder between 2007 and 2009 - was excessive as it would have to be absorbed by the consumer.
In that statement, Enemalta said an auditor's report had been commissioned to evaluate this proposal and a copy would be given to GRTU tomorrow, which would serve as the basis for further discussions.
Enemalta did not react to the GRTU's comments yesterday.