EDL Contract Employees Storm Company’s HQ in Beirut, Block Roads across Lebanon

Electricite du Liban's contract employees stormed on Wednesday the company’s headquarters in Beirut by breaking the building’s main gate after the Internal Security Forces prevented them from entering the premises.

The angry protesters escalated their strike demanding the cabinet to approve their full-time employment.

Earlier, they engaged in a dispute with the ISF for allowing only full-time employees to enter the company’s premises.

Some protesters warned against setting themselves on fire as some media reports said that several others fainted.

The protesters blocked the roads with burning tires, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic, but the roads were later reopened.

Meanwhile, other contract employees blocked with burning tires several roads in the southern city of Tyre, the town of Riyaq in the eastern Bekaa valley, Bint Jbeil and the main road in Baakline near the company’s building.

The employees also held a sit-in near the company’s building in the southern city of Sidon.

Others closed the electricity offices in Bikfaya, Baabdat and Nabatiyeh and ordered employees out of the buildings.

The Contract workers also closed the EDL building in Mashghara and blocked the Mashghara-Jezzine road with burning tires.

The contract employees, who have been protesting for the past four weeks, are demanding their full-time employment.

However, Energy Minister Jebran Bassil had proposed to hire several employees permanently at EDL, but they are refusing his suggestion arguing that some of them have been contract workers for over 20 years.