The banks' moratorium on loan repayments should be extended to cover the duration of workers' unemployment or reduced working week, the General Workers' Union suggested yesterday.

The proposal is one of 14 made yesterday by the union to stimulate the economy.

The union insisted the measures announced in the budget had to be revised because the economic scenario had changed.

It disagreed with the government's reasoning that, since everything depended on overseas demand, nothing more could be done to boost the economy.

Among its proposals the union called for a reduction of VAT on certain activities that generated work, such as maintenance and repair works and restaurant services.

It recommended the new utility tariffs should be replaced by new tariffs based on the present oil price, and proposed that workers on a four-day week should be considered as being on a normal working week for social services purposes.

The government should be more vigilant to ensure workers doing the same work were given the same pay, irrespective of gender or race.

Government-induced costs should be cut by revising tariffs imposed by state agencies and authorities. In its suggestions, the GWU reiterated its call to revise downwards the water and electricity tariffs based on the current oil price.

The government should embark on environmental projects and road works using EU funds and should introduce worker training schemes in companies that were on a four-day week.

The union called for a clampdown on work contracts that did not offer workers job security.

It asked to be included in a government task force, which was discussing the individual needs of companies affected by the economic crisis.