MUT president John Bencini this afternoon called on the government to suspend the new utility tariffs pending talks with the social partners, including trade unions which are not represented on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development.

He made his appeal when he led a delegation from the Ghaqda Trade Unions Maltin to PN headquarters to formally invite the party for Sunday's protest against the utility tariffs.

PN General Secretary Paul Borg Olivier, who met the unions' delegation, said the PN would not attend the protest because its focus was on safeguarding jobs and creating new ones.

He urged the trade unions to take a wider view of the situation, and said that funds which the governemnt used to give as subsidies to Enemalta were now being used for new investment in education, health and the social sector.

He pointed out that the world was going through an economic storm but the government had still managed to spare the country the worst of the fallout.

Dr Borg Olivier also pointed out that the GWU was acting differently now than it had when the Sant government raised utility prices steeply when the oil price was just $12 a barrel.

GWU General Secretary Tony Zarb retorted that the situation was different at the time, and the then Labour government never issued bills under the new tariffs.

Mr Bencini said the protest was being backed by 63 per cent of unionised workers. This was not a protest meant to topple the government, he said, but a protest to drive a message home, as was done regularly in many other countries.