ENERGY WORKERS HEATED OVER POWER FIRE SALE
New South Wales energy workers are preparing to take industrial action after the State Government quietly paved the way for a fire sale of the state’s electricity retailers.
The government has amended the Electricity Supply Act to allow for the transfer of customers’ bills to a private company without the customer’s consent.
The United Services Union (USU), which represents energy retail employees, said workers are fed up by the State Government’s secrecy on electricity privatisation.
The State Government has tried to pave the way for privatisation by bringing in new regulations quietly, hoping that no-one will notice,” USU Energy Organiser Scott McNamara said today.
The people of NSW will certainly notice when they get their electricity bills – and find that the cost of electricity has shot up to boost the profits of a multi-national company.”
Mr McNamara said that in tough economic times, hiking up the cost of electricity would be a major blow to NSW families.
It’s strange that the Premier has been silent on this major change to electricity regulations.
The lack of fanfare shows that this government knows its electricity privatisation plan is a turkey, and it does not want the public to find out what is going on.”
The USU said industrial action is being planned from Monday 13 July within all retail arms of the distribution companies.
Retail employees will take action and alert customers to the Government’s plans. They will decide whether to take further industrial action later in the week,” said Mr McNamara.
The USU said Integral Energy is the first company to be affected by the move, a sign the government is fattening up the pig for market.
Despite the government’s bold plans to push on with the sell-off of Integral Energy and later EnergyAustralia and Country Energy, employees are still in the dark over their entitlements and employment protections.
The community is sick of being kept in the dark about the State Government’s plans for privatising the state’s electricity retailers,” said Mr McNamara.
