Unions representing employees of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) have expressed strong disappointment following a meeting with Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Michalis Damianos on Tuesday afternoon, warning that strike action now appears to be unavoidable.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Dimitris Constantinou, Secretary of SIDHKEK-PEO, described the meeting as “beyond our expectations disappointing”. The minister, however, said the issues raised relate to long-standing distortions in the energy sector that will require time to resolve.
Meeting with EAC board
Earlier, the minister held his first meeting with the EAC Board of Directors. The board’s chairman, George Petrou, said the discussion was mainly informative in nature.
Damianos told CNA that the meeting had been “good” and referred to common objectives between the parties.
“We exchanged views. We discussed photovoltaics, energy storage, networks, Dekelia and Vasilikos. It was a good discussion and we are moving forward. The goals are common,” he said.
Regarding the subsequent meeting with the unions, the minister said they presented their positions, noting that the issues they raise “are not unreasonable and are the same ones we discuss with the board”. He described them as long-standing structural issues in the energy sector that require time to address.
“We are moving step by step in the right direction,” he added.
He also pointed to rules that must be respected, particularly those related to competition protection and state aid regulations.
“They wanted me to say that we would act illegally, ignore the State Aid Commissioner’s opinion and provide funding for Dekelia. That cannot happen, as it would constitute state aid,” he said, adding that the ministry is awaiting further data from EAC to substantiate the request.
Damianos also noted that any decisions taken by the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) fall under an independent authority aligned with European regulatory institutions and cannot be influenced by the ministry.
Unions express disappointment
Constantinou said the unions had expected the minister to engage more substantially with the issues raised by the EAC board. He stressed that the unions share the same positions and views as the board regarding the challenges facing the organisation, a point that was reaffirmed during a meeting between the two sides on Monday.
He added that the unions had expected the minister, during his first visit to “one of the largest technical organisations”, to provide more convincing responses on matters affecting both the energy sector and consumers.
“We received no commitment that these issues will be treated as priorities by the ministry,” he said.
According to Constantinou, the minister stated that the ministry’s priorities include the arrival of natural gas at Vasilikos and electricity prices. However, he said the minister did not respond to numerous concerns raised about obstacles faced by the organisation that limit its ability to serve consumers.
“We are fully disappointed. The strike is a one-way street,” he said, adding that further escalation is being considered and will be evaluated in the coming days.
Warning strike planned
The unions EPOPAHK, SIDHKEK, SEPAHK, SYVAHK and the Free Pancyprian Organisation of Electricity Authority Personnel have announced a 24-hour warning strike for Thursday.
Constantinou noted that this will be the third warning work stoppage, following earlier two-hour and three-hour strikes.
He stressed that the issues raised by the unions are not labour or trade union demands directed at the EAC board. Instead, the unions expect solutions from the state.
Asked whether the strike could lead to power cuts, Constantinou said that for the first time 50 per cent of shift workers at the Dekelia power station will participate in the strike.
“We do not know how many and which units the organisation will have available with half the staff,” he said, adding that the Cyprus Transmission System Operator will take the relevant decisions.
Key concerns raised
Petrou confirmed that the board does not have a dispute with the unions and said they are seeking answers from the government rather than from the EAC administration.
He also said the board informed the minister about issues including the generators at the Dekelia power station, energy storage and electricity networks.
Among the main concerns raised by the unions, he noted, is the entry of Cyta into the energy market. Petrou said the minister could not intervene on this issue because the relevant bill from the Ministry of Finance has already been approved by Parliament.
He also referred to other matters that require decisions from different ministries, including the allocation of state land for photovoltaic installations and desalination projects.
Source: CNA