EAC Unions threaten strike if issues not resolved

Unions on Thursday demanded the immediate resolution of serious issues affecting the viability of the Electricity Authority (EAC), threatening strike action if no progress is made in the next seven days.

In a letter addressed to the EAC’s board of directors, the unions mention serious issues already raised with the board which, in their words, “are derailing and depriving the organisation of the possibility of fulfilling its mission, which is the safe, uninterrupted and more economical supply of electricity to consumers, as also their timely and efficient service”.

The letter also points out the absence of healthy labour relations within the organisation, which makes it difficult to resolve labour issues and affects its operation.

“As a result, its structures remain incomplete, its activities without leaders, and heaps of issues remain unresolved,” it adds, noting that matters that have been agreed upon are blatantly violated and not implemented.

Another issue the unions point out are the finance ministry’s “unacceptable” interventions, at a time when the EAC is facing the challenges of the energy transition.

“We estimate that the decisions of the Electricity Authority remain stagnant due to various objections and obstruction by the competent ministry and bodies which are referred to the Greek calendars, resulting in continuous increases in the cost of electricity and visible risks in adequacy and security for the country’s supply”.

The unions requested actions for the immediate implementation of the existing agreements and the resolution of the multitude of labour issues that are before the EAC board.

They also asked for a written update from the energy ministry on the decision taken with EAC and CERA on the installation of new units at Dhekelia power station, also calling for the completion of the approval process for a storage facility at the same location in accordance with the relevant EAC board decision.

The letter also asks for immediate action to approve the installation of central storage systems in the grids, which will reduce consumer costs and make the system more flexible, supporting the ministry’s RES programmes, especially ‘Photovoltaics for all;.

The unions also called for the immediate removal of all obstacles so that EAC Production can invest in RES and/or purchase energy from RES and/or purchase existing licensed RES projects.

They also decried the positions and “unethical interventions” of CERA’s Vice-President, both towards the EAC and competent state bodies, “which are not appropriate for the institution he was appointed to serve and cannot to be treated with apathy”.

The only issues being discussed are the arrival of natural gas, and the electricity interconnection of Cyprus with neighbouring states, “while the substance, the cost and adequacy of electricity, has been left out despite being the issues needing immediate action,” they stressed.

Finally they emphasised that any interconnection has nothing to do with, and is not an extension of the state’s network infrastructure, but concerns private investments “that the Cypriot consumer will be asked to prepay with a fee, increasing the price of electricity directly, without any indication of the benefits in depth time for the consumer”.