In an announcement almost designed to further infuriate Loulé water company Infralobo’s already incandescent customers, the company proudly has announced that it has been awarded IS0 9001: 2008 in recognition of the "rigour employed in its work and the orientation of the company to ensure customer satisfaction."
"Throughout the process leading to certification of its Management System, Infralobo had the opportunity to internally organise a range of methodologies that safeguard the character of the work, thus ensuring the optimisation of services provided to its customers," the company gleefully reported.
The ISO certification "proves the company's dedication to its customers on a continuous improvement approach that enhances the performance of the company and benefit the relationship with all its partners."
The scope of the certification "includes the provision of water supply, wastewater disposal, solid waste collection, street cleaning, maintenance and the maintenance of green spaces, highway maintenance, signage and street lighting, maintenance and remodelling of infrastructures and public spaces management." Cue hollow laughter...
This shameless company, led by Eng.º José Eduardo Rodrigues Miguel - the Loulé mayor's brother-in-law - is involved in a nasty confrontation with many of its customers which it unilaterally decided should pay an extra per bed tax on top of water and water service bills.
This additional tax has been resisted by many customers and the matter is due to be decided in court with the water regulator ERSAR agreeing that the tax is not in respect of water or waste service provision so does not come under its remit.
ERSAR has advised Loulé council and Infralobo of the fact that the fixed component in the tariffs i.e. the per bed tax, was "not in line with industry practice."
Infralobo's bullying tactics, deliberate non-communication, cynicism, arrogance and high-handed attitude has ensure the conflict has reached boiling point with desperate customers in Vilas Alvas, Quinta Jacintina, Vale do Garrão and other locations, many of them retired, now living as best they can without mains water despite having kept up payment on their water and sewage bills, but not the randomly imposed per bed tax.
The Loulé mayor, Vítor Aleixo, refuses to get involved despite the council controlling the water services company (Infralobo is 51% owned by Loulé council and 49% by Vale de Lobo SA) and the situation had damaged local relations and by reporting in local and national media, has shown both the council and Infralobo as being out of control, unsympathetic, rash and acting in an often threatening and bullying manner.
The judiciary has not helped as the Administrative Court of Loulé decided it was 'not competent to evaluate the case,' which it passed on to the local Criminal Court which in turn refused to deal with the case which was last seen heading for a hearing at a conflict resolution court which will decide where the case should be heard.
Infralobo’s award could not have come at a more inopportune moment as its claim of optimising customer service had been, in many cases, to cut off supply to those customers who refuse to sign a contract that imposed an alomst certainly illegal 'per bed' tax.
The mayor's behaviour has been reprehensible; Vítor Aleixo needs to sort this problem out by facing up to it, nothing good will be achieved by treating customers in this cavalier and arrogant manner.
See also: 'Dozens of Vale de Lobo houses have water cut off over billing dispute'
