Electricte du Liban director-general Kamal al-Hayek warned on
Monday of the company’s collapse due to the ongoing protests by the contract
workers as the employees began a hunger strike.
LBC television reported that the employees moved their strike tent
inside the company’s premises, announcing a hunger strike until the cabinet
achieves their demands.
The contract workers are demanding the company to pay their June
and July salaries and for the cabinet to publish their permanent employment
decision in the official gazette.
The contract workers at Mar Mikhael also closed the cash
registers.
Internal Security Forces reopened Riyaq-Baalbek international road
after EDL employees in the area blocked it by forming a human chain.
ISF also halted an attempt by the employees in Batroun to close
the gates of the company in the area.
Hayek warned later about the company's collapse if contract
workers continue with their protests.
“The protest of the EDL contract workers is preventing maintenance
work and would lead to the failure to pay the salaries of the company’s
employees,” Hayek said in a press conference following talks with Energy
Minister Jebran Bassil.
He revealed that a meeting will be held on Tuesday with Bassil,
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to
address the issue.
On Saturday, EDL approved paying the contract workers their
salaries on the condition of handing over the bills and funds they refrained to
give to the company since they began their protests three months ago.
The contract workers warned on Friday that they would take
“unprecedented” escalatory measures if their salaries were not paid before
Monday.
The parliament’s approval earlier this month of a decision taken
by the joint parliamentary committees to permanently employ EDL contract
workers created a rift between the March 8 allies, as the Free Patriotic
Movement accused Hizbullah of being a “spectator” and Speaker Nabih Berri of
violating the protocol.
The Christian lawmakers boycotted the parliament to protest the
approval of the joint parliamentary committees’ arguing that the permanent
employment of those workers would destabilize the sectarian balance at EDL as
around 80 percent of them belong to non-Christian sects and most of them
support Berri, who is a Shiite.
EDL contract workers will have to sit for a closed exam, which
will be held by the Civil Service Board.
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