Workers at the electricity authority were on strike on Wednesday, following a warning one-hour work stoppage last week.
Dozens of workers gathered outside the EAC central offices on Wednesday morning to protest the indifference of the relevant authorities over a series of issues at the authority, responsible for the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity in the island.
Some protestors were holding a large poster showing a cartoon depicting the energy and financial ministries as well as the energy regulatory authority (Cera) as hooded hangmen ready to kill the electricity authority, depicted as a woman.
The board of directors of EAC are shown sitting drinking coffee while private electricity suppliers are next to a photovoltaic park holding bags of money. An officer is fining a man wearing a T-shirt reading ‘Cypriot’ to explain how citizens are paying for the emission fines.
Meanwhile, the striking EAC trade unions are depicted in the picture as a man wearing a red T-shirt holding a sign reading “Save EAC”. A distressed consumer is also shown holding an electricity bill.
The poster was also put up outside the central offices.
EAC board of directors had condemned the strike, saying it would inconvenience the public and hurt the electricity authority.
A core union demand is the opening up of 370 job positions, including mechanics and network specialists. The finance ministry’s budget, however, greenlighted only 145 positions.
Renewable energy sources are also a source of contention, as unions demand that any interference by other state services should be scrapped so EAC can diversify its energy offerings and reduce the cost of production.
The Dhekelia power plant is an additional sticking point, with the union claiming it is being mishandled, demanding the outdated and cost-inefficient units to be upgraded.
The union complaints come as the industry is set for a significant shakeup – although the ever-elusive date for opening up the electricity market appears to have been pushed back to 2023.
Earlier this week, one of the five trade unions of the electricity authority’s workers said it will not participate in the strike oprganised by the four other unions saying it failed to receive detailed and official reasons and purposes for the work stoppage.
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