標題:Call for windfall tax on 'profiteering' energy industry By Andrew Taylor, Employment Correspondent Published: September 9 2008 03:00 | Last updated: September 9 2008 03:00 Energy companies were yesterday accused of profiteering at the expense of their customers on the eve of a trade union vote calling for a windfall tax on the industry, writes Andrew Taylor . Unite, Britain's biggest union, published a "dossier of disgrace" comparing the pay of executives and the profits made by energy companies with problems faced by poor people struggling to meet increased electricity and gas prices. The report claims that the percentage of profits spent on finding new deposits of fossil fuels have remained flat for years. The main energy providers had increased annual profits by 538 per cent to more than ￡3bn since 2003, the union said. Yet suppliers had raised prices by up to 35 per cent in the past year alone. An extra 400,000 people fell into fuel poverty every time prices were raised by 10 per cent, it said. Gordon Brown is expected later this week to announce measures to help energy customers, but the prime minister is understood to have ruled out a windfall tax after telling Scottish business leaders last week that there would be no "short-term gimmicks or giveaways". Unite said yesterday: "Despite the billions [of pounds] made in profits, the energy industry spends just ￡50m a year combating fuel poverty and has only agreed to raise this to ￡150m a year by 2010." Energy companies paid ￡1.6bn to shareholders last year, it said - an increase of 19 per cent on the previous year. The union has proposed a motion, to be debated at the TUC conference today and expected to receive broad support, calling for the "imposition on the huge profits of energy companies". Tony Woodley, general secretary, said: "The government must intervene and intervene now. Our case for a windfall tax is compelling. It is morally right." Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d6c1c8a2-7e08-11dd-bdbd-000077b07658.html Union calls on government to produce 'coherent energy policy' Emergency motion tabled at TUC conference attacks Ofgem for failing to curb 'excessive price rises' by energy companies * Hélène Mulholland * guardian.co.uk, * Tuesday September 09 2008 15:20 BST * Article history Unions today ratcheted up pressure on the government to impose a windfall tax on the profits of energy firms to prevent households from being forced to choose between "heating and eating" this winter. The GMB union has submitted an emergency motion at the TUC's annual gathering in Brighton which attacks the government and energy regulator Ofgem for failing to curb the "excessive price rises" being imposed on hard-pressed consumers, The motion criticises the "big six" energy firms for making ￡1.6bn last year, while raising prices by 42% this year. The GMB motion, backed by the National Union of Mineworkers, has been tabled ahead of a keynote speech by the chancellor, Alistair Darling, who is expected to face down calls for a windfall tax on energy companies on the grounds that such a move would damage the economy. The motion states that the poor and elderly should not be forced to choose between "heating and eating" and calls on the government to produce a "coherent energy policy". It also condemns the "phoney competition" between the energy companies. The motion states: "Congress calls upon the government to take urgent action on rising fuel bills by levying a windfall tax on energy companies and use this revenue to provide assistance to the neediest households." It also attacks Ofgem as "inadequate", claiming it is more concerned with "raiding workers' pension schemes than tackling the greedy utilities companies or standing up for consumers". Unions are furious that a package of measures due to be announced to help those struggling to cope with rising energy bills is unlikely to include a windfall tax, despite calls from affiliated trade unions and around 100 Labour MPs who have put their names to a list organised by the leftwing pressure group, Compass. Unite, the largest trade union, has also registered the need for a "windfall tax on the huge profits of energy companies" as part of a wider motion on the economy. The government is expected to announce plans this week which will see energy companies contribute towards a scheme to improve home insulation, cutting wastage and reducing bills. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/sep/09/tradeunions.taxandspending 新聞來源: (需有正確連結) -- --

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