EAC: The adequacy of the production system will be affected by guild measures

EAC: The adequacy of the production system will be affected by guild measures

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The adequacy and stability of the production system is expected to be affected by the non-operation of the six steam-electric units at the Dekelia power station, due to the measures announced by the EAC trade unions on Wednesday, the EAC press representative told KYPE. "We cannot remain apathetic," a representative of the workers told KYPE.

The trade unions active in the EAC announced on Wednesday the taking of measures with a request to address problems facing the organization, such as chronic understaffing, the "illegal" operation of the Dekelia power plant and the prevention of the EAC from participation in RES.

Regarding the first measure, Dimitris Constantinou, Secretary of the SIDIKEK-AEK Branch, told KYPE that the workers decided to strictly implement the service plans of each employee and the regulations. "Workshops will be staffed as they should be, based on safety issues and the way the EAC operates," he said. As a consequence, he said, workshops will collapse and certainly the productivity of the organization in the construction part will decrease, because until now "we are operating with less staff and we are asking the staff to work with exhausting hours to be able to cope with their obligations", So, he said, "certainly there will be an impact on the productivity of the organization and the short service to the citizen."

For her part, the representative of the EAC, Christina Papadopoulou, said that this measure does not result in a problem in dealing with damage, but a reduction in productivity, that is, the normal flow of work will be affected.

The second measure decided by the workers is the one that is expected to create serious problems, as the electricity generation system is expected to be affected. According to Mr. Constantinou, EAC employees will refrain from working "on extrajudicial decisions, at a station that operates illegally and creates costs for consumers." As he said, while this station is needed and the authorities are asking to get exemptions from the European Commission to continue its operation, "the state that has the responsibility has not decided that this station should be renewed. This also concerns the cost paid by the consumer, because this station is more energy-intensive, with expensive fuel and polluting," he said.

Asked about any problems in the network due to the measure, Mr. Constantinou said that the transmission system operator, who is responsible for supplying energy to consumers, if there is no corresponding electricity production, has the responsibility to decide whether to let areas outside or not. "The workers are not participating in illegality," he reiterated.

For her part, the representative of EAC said that with regard to the six steam-electric units of Dekelia, in the event that their operation stops, as the workers decided, "a problem of adequacy and stability of the production system arises". That is why, he said, efforts are continuing to resolve the issues and prevent these measures from the management and administration.

The third serious issue raised by the workers, Mr. Constantinou said, is that EAC Production is not allowed to invest in RES projects, nor is EAC Supply able to buy from independent RES producers, so that it can offer more cheap kilowatt hours to the consumer. "We have long believed that it is the only way to finally be able to provide cheaper electricity to consumers," he noted.

"When the competent Ministry, the competent bodies, prevent on the one hand the correct staffing of the Organization to be able to meet its obligations, when the EAC is prevented from investing in RES projects in production, so as to create a fuel mix to benefit the end user, the consumer, when for Decelia no political decisions are made about what will happen next, but it will continue to operate with more expensive fuel, with pollutants, when all this happens, the staff cannot remain indifferent, seeing a disastrous course to happen to the organization", said Mr. Constantinou.

He added that the workers had staged a one-hour warning stop a month ago and a twelve-hour warning stop twenty days ago. "The workers have given a lot of time and warning," he said, underlining that the workers' demands are the positions and decisions of the management and the EAC Board of Directors, "which cannot be implemented because some, and specifically the Ministry, creates and puts obstacles in the implementation of all these issues".

"We support the positions of the Board of Directors, so that the organization can enter a path of recovery, help the place as well, offer consumers as well. We expect all the bodies that have the power in their hands to make the decisions that will ensure all that we have said", he said, adding that "we have always and responsibly handled the issue of energy, which is a good that must be offered seamlessly to people. But, as soon as we see a disastrous course in the organization, the way the organization is being handled by the relevant Ministry or other institutional bodies, we cannot remain apathetic."

For her part, the representative of EAC noted that management and administration are trying to resolve the issues to prevent the measures. "They are in constant dialogue with the guilds," he said.

Source: KYPE