PPC voluntary exit plan’s payroll cost savings estimated at €21.2m

The main power utility PPC’s voluntary exit plan offered to staff at the corporation’s loss-incurring Meliti and Megalopoli power stations will produce payroll savings of more than 21.2 million euros for the corporation, energypress sources closely following the power utility’s bailout-required disinvestment of lignite units, which includes the aforementioned facilities, have informed.

A total of 360 employees working at the two lignite-fired power stations have accepted PPC’s voluntary exit proposal, offering 25,000 euros in severance pay.

A total of 243 PPC employees at the Megalopoli unit have registered for the voluntary exit plan. Their total payroll cost for the corporation has been estimated at 14.5 million euros. In addition, 76 Megalopoli unit employees departed in the previous six-month period for severance pay amounts of 15,000 euros. Their payroll cost reduction is estimated at 4.5 million euros, which brings the tally of the payroll cost reduction for all 319 employees to nearly 19 million euros.

As for the Meliti unit, a total of 41 employees have agreed to leave, producing payroll savings of 2.2 million euros.

Prospective buyers have indicated they want the workforce at Megalopoli and Meliti, totaling 1,248 prior to the voluntary exit plan, to be cut down to 600.

PPC yesterday announced a voluntary transfer plan for Meliti and Megalopoli unit employees, offering jobs at other power utility posts, sources informed.

The response of employees to this transfer offer is expected to be subdued as workers will take into account the distance factor. Most available posts are believed to be situated in the Athens area, not close to the Florina and Arcadia locations of the two units.

On another front, PPC and the owners of the Ahlada lignite mine feeding the Meliti power station are engaged in talks to resolve issues concerning their supply agreement, whose  whose pricing and quantity details are vague. The supply agreement will be taken on by Meliti’s prospective new owner.