BEIRUT:
Five contract workers at the headquarters of Electricite Du Liban (EDL) in
Beirut erected a tent at the state-run company and began a hunger strike Monday
as others prevented customers from paying electricity bills.
The
workers are protesting the government's delay in resolving their employment
status.
Meanwhile
in Baalbek, contract workers blocked the international road in Baalbek,
northeast of Lebanon, in solidarity with their colleagues in Beirut.
The
road, which is located near the Baalbek branch of EDL, was blocked for 40
minutes causing traffic.
A
statement released by MP Michel Aoun’s office said EDL would sue those contract
workers who harm the facilities as well as hold each of them responsible for
their behavior,
The
statement added that the lawsuit would be filed by Energy Minister Gebran
Bassil of Aoun’s bloc and EDL Director General Kamal Hayek.
Beirut-based
contract workers have been protesting and on strike for the past two months
calling on the government to employ them as full-time staff and to pay their
salaries. Their protests have included shutting the gates of EDL headquarters
in Beirut and disrupting normal work at the state-run company.
Parliament
has endorsed a bill to employ the contract workers full-time at EDL but the
draft legislation is awaiting the approval of Parliament’s Secretariat.
Christian
parties argue that were EDL to employ contract workers full-time without a
proper regulatory mechanism, this would cause sectarian imbalance in the public
sector.
EDL announced over the
weekend that it would pay the salaries of contract bill collectors but warned
it would take legal steps against those withholding money from collected
electricity bills.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Jul-16/180764-edl-contract-workers-briefly-close-road-in-east-lebanon.ashx#axzz20mFkUNDx
No comments:
Post a Comment