The industry federation of Workers' Commissions of Catalonia has denounced this Thursday in Parliament that Endesa, an electricity company now in Italian hands, has reduced and paralyzed investments in the maintenance of the medium and low voltage supply network - essential for services. , industry and citizens – especially in Catalonia, although they point out that this situation occurs more or less generally throughout Spain. In his opinion, this decision has been adopted based on financial criteria, to maximize the company's benefits; and has the effect of deteriorating the supply network itself as well as the risk of job loss. Some 5,000 people from various subcontracted companies are employed directly and indirectly in maintaining the service.
The electricity company, for its part, ensures that its commitment to investments in the Catalan network is "firm and sustained over time" and claims that it is "replanning" its activity in the medium and low voltage network at the end of this year. , in the last quarter, due to the increase in financial costs, inflation and the lack of digital supplies. "In recent months, the structure of Endesa's investments in the distribution network, highly focused on digitalization, has been affected by delays and the global lack of supplies of electronic equipment," Endesa sources justify.
According to the union, temporary employment regulation files (ERTE) have already been raised in the subcontracted companies that provide these services to Endesa, although they have been stopped for now. The secretary of industry of CCOO, José Antonio Hernández, has pointed out in the Catalan Chamber that the majority of electricity companies, at the beginning of this year 2023, with the new tax approved by the Government, already reduced large investments as a measure of protest, in what he considers to be a "pulse" of the energy sector with the central Executive. But, they also point out that Endesa has done it in a special way and has gone further since there was a change of Government in Italy. Endesa is in the hands of Enel, an Italian company whose 26% is owned by the Italian Government. Hernández has placed special emphasis on the fact that this stoppage has come after the company closed the 2022 financial year with its highest profits in history.
The union points out that the stoppage of programs and projects affects various areas, and that its consequences will be seen in the medium term. "When there are breakdowns it is because preventive investments have not been made in advance. If this action is maintained it will be seen in the coming years," warned Hernández, who assures that subcontracted companies account for between 30% and 40% of billing and load. of planned work.
One of the examples given by the person in charge of industry in the Catalan federation of CCOO is that even if a new desalination plant were built in Maresme to alleviate the effects of the drought, it would not be able to function right now due to the state of the electrical grid. Likewise, he has pointed out that part of the network is not prepared for the current paradigm, in which there are various production and distribution points with wind and solar energy, unlike what happened in the 20th century. "We have an energy network from the 20th century and we need one from the 21st century. Before it was a distribution network, now there are many distribution points. Energy generation can be green, solar, wind... but if the network does not work it will not work. "it will go well," warned the energy manager at CCOO, Manuel Martínez.
The press conference in Parliament had the support of PSC, Esquerra Republicana, Junts per Catalunya, the CUP and En Comú Podemos. Likewise, CCOO representatives met with the Department of Labor.
Endesa drew up an investment plan of 1,000 million euros for three years that, according to the company, will be fulfilled. "The new strategic investment plan in the distribution network of Catalonia 2024-26 has already been presented and approved by the administration, so it will be fulfilled and will have continuity," say the sources consulted, who also highlight that it has already been They are accelerating procedures with the Catalan public administrations for projects for new supplies and connections of renewables to the grid planned for the first half of 2024 so that they can be executed during the last quarter of this year. "This will allow the level of activity of medium and low voltage contractors to be completed by 2023," say sources from the electricity company, detailing that contractors specializing in the high voltage network have seen their activity increase this year. On this issue, the unions point out that activity has only increased in new supplies, since this brings benefits to the company.
