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War broke out between the trade unions of the state electricity company, DEI, over the ‘tax’ amounting to €1.3 million, which will have to be paid by its 18,000 employees, in favour of the General Federation of DEI workers. The payment is required within a three-year collective agreement.

11 primary organisations out of 24 federation members had refused to sign the collective agreement when they realized that the workers will have to pay an extraordinary 2 euro per month over a period of three years. The raise will enable the repayment of € 500,000 lent to the Federation by DEI’s management. Fines to tax authorities and underpaid debt to suppliers will also have to be paid. In other words, the additional charge will have to redeem the ‘sins’ of some trade unionists – also known as GENOP Tours (after the federation’s name).

The union dues, which will amount to € 1,296,000, will be deducted by DEI from employees’ wages and transferred to the vaults of the federation. DEI will, of course, retain the € 500,000 of the loan.

This item in the new collective agreement, together with another one providing an opportunity for shift bonus payments to workers who haven't actually been on duty, triggered a strong reaction by trade unions.

Yesterday, five trade unions protested against the compulsory contribution: "apart from all else, there is a moral problem for us, because this creates a new way of financing the Trade Union Federation with the consent of the employer." The trade unions also ask why the recent increase in dues from € 0.53 to € 1.65 – which was also made at the request of the federation – was not enough.

According to the trade unions, the collective agreement includes the bonus for each day of physical presence at work of up to € 6 per person precisely to ‘sweeten the pill’ of this additional tax.

The same trade unions argue that the new collective agreement will DEI’s management board the chance to cut all extraordinary expenses, and even salaries, if spending exceeds the limit set by law on public companies. This will be the consequence of suspending the priority spending (for overtime or allowances) rules, whereby such spending could be cut without affecting the basic salary.

The risk bonus for technicians working for the operator of the electricity distribution network, which is a DEI subsidiary, is being restored. The technicians will receive an extra bonus, although they belong to a category which is paid allowances for hard and unhealthy work. Therefore, the risk bonus is being called into question. According to the 1995 agreement with unions, updated several times since then, technicians were not entitled to a risk bonus if they received one for unhealthy work.

At the same time, some of the trade unions and the federation itself, have expressed their satisfaction with the new collective agreement as it guarantees wages and jobs, introduces a social wage for the first time, and provides workers with food vouchers for each day of actual work.