Director-General of
state-run Electricite du Liban Kamal al-Hayek urged on Tuesday the company’s
contract works to end their strike, stressing that the solution is in the hands
of the parliament and not the administration.
“We were the first to
propose the full-time employment of the contract workers,” al-Hayek said during
a press conference for the board of directors at the Zouk power plant.
The contract workers
have been holding a strike for the past three months demanding EDL to pay them
their June - July Salaries and grant them their full-time employment.
“The company can’t pay
them their salaries as the contracts expired,” al-Hayek revealed.
He reiterated that the
company’s branches across Lebanon are occupied and without “any security
control.”
He called on the
Internal Security Forces to preserve the possessions and documents of EDL,
particularly, “if allegations that a fifth column is operating are true.”
Al-Hayek stressed that
the employees will not resume their work “as long as the situation remains the
same.”
He lashed out at the
angry contract workers, saying that their strike “surpassed its peaceful
limits.”
“A peaceful and
civilized strike doesn’t close off the gates of the company with metal chains
and doesn’t jeopardize the freedom of the other employees,” al-Hayek noted.
The strike held by the
contract workers escalated on Monday as they closed all the entrances of the
company’s headquarters in Mar Mikhael in Beirut with metal chains while the
full-time employees staged a counter-protest outside.
The director-general
told reporters that EDL isn’t planning to cut off electricity but “we are on
the edge of the danger zone… We are doing our best to maintain stability in the
electricity supply.”
Al-Hayek said that the
laborers aren’t able to repair the electric malfunctions as the company's
vehicles are locked in its headquarters in Mar Mikhael.
On Monday, EDL warned
that the contract workers’ occupation of the company’s headquarters in Mar
Mikhael in Beirut will lead to a power blackout throughout Lebanon.
However, EDL contract
workers committee lashed out at the board of directors’ announcement, saying
that “if a complete blackout occurred it would be on purpose.”
Concerning the transfer
of the bills out of the company’s headquarters in Mar Mikhael on Friday,
al-Hayek said that “it was decided by the company’s audit bureau and according
to the measures taken by the ISF.”
The contract workers
were angered by the move.
Al-Hayek hoped that this
stage will pass.http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/48424
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