GWU seeks independent inquiry into power cuts

The General Workers' Union is insisting that an independent inquiry rather than an internal board should look into what led to the power cuts.

As Good Friday processions were about half way through their route, Malta was hit by a power cut, the second such nation-wide blackout in under two weeks and the fourth in less than a year.

The union said an independent inquiry would prove that the Finance Minister, under whose wing Enemalta fell, was not afraid of being transparent and allow all the facts to emerge, something that was in the public interest.

The GWU said that, in the past, the corporation's workers had been blamed for the power cuts even if they should have been commended for restoring the provision as soon as possible.

Enemalta attributed Friday's power cut to a "switching fault" at the Delimara power station. It said turbine number two was put into operation to meet the demand but failed to synchronise with other turbines, resulting in an overload. The protection devices at Delimara kicked in, shutting down the plant.

But the GWU said that on numerous occasions the public was led to believe that sabotage was involved in power cuts, to the extent that the police got involved.

When such police investigations were concluded, the public remained blissfully unaware of the truth, the union added.