Workers at the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) will stage a three-hour work stoppage on Wednesday 18 March, from 8am to 11am, in protest at what their unions describe as serious and unresolved problems affecting both the EAC and the broader energy sector.
The decision was announced by EAC trade unions in a letter to the organisation’s Board of Directors, which they also released publicly. The unions warned that if the government fails to heed their concerns, they will escalate their industrial action.
In the letter, unions said the situation in the electricity sector is deteriorating, with negative consequences for consumers and the economy. They attributed the deterioration to a lack of strategic planning by the state and to delays and inaction on the part of the responsible authorities.
The unions noted that in previous meetings with the Board of Directors there had been a shared understanding of the problems facing the EAC and the energy sector. Despite repeatedly urging the EAC to rise to the occasion and push for solutions, they said, the issues remain unresolved.
The unions also argued that instead of focusing on measures to ensure adequate electricity supply, security of supply, consumer support, and access to solar energy for all, the state is pursuing proposals that they say have proven unrealistic and are pushing electricity costs up rather than down.