Hayek Warns of EDL’s Collapse as Contract Workers Begin Hunger Strike
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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.
16 July 2012, 13:53
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Three months without pay, I am surprised some of these guys didn't do it involuntarily. That is of course assume, they haven't been getting paid by someone else.
16 July 2012, 14:18
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I don't understand why some people hate or make fun of the EDL workers. They are not permanent workers and that means there is no permanent contract and the government can play with their salaries. On top of that, the government has refused to pay them at all. These people have families and they have bills to pay to a corrupt government and you're here laughing at them?
16 July 2012, 15:54
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They have a right to demand to be employed by EDL, but these couple of thousand protesters do not have the right to make several million people miserable by destroying property and threatening employees and others from doing their jobs. Anyhow, if they are in such financial strife, how are they able to survive three months without having a salary?
Answer that, and you will find out that this is not something the workers want but rather, others in power want.
16 July 2012, 15:07
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Gebran Bassil: Electricians prevented from repairing malfunction in Dahiyeh - July 6 2012
16 July 2012, 15:31
01
If they stopped working months ago, and revenue stopped for EDL, then how on earth do they expect their salaries to be paid?
16 July 2012, 15:43
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Why EDL needs employees? since it is not providing power. For those who remember how the MEA issue was solved in 1996 and how the company was saved from bankruptcy, I think EDL and the power sector in general need a similar solution once and for all.
16 July 2012, 20:18
10
what happens when m8 thugs don't find anyone to beat up, they beat up on each others aounists thugs against amsal/hezb thugs in mar mkhayel, idiots
16 July 2012, 21:09
01
So now the employees of EDL are engaged in blackmailing the Ministry into taking their contracts and making them public contracts with the government paying the bill for their salaries and retirement. The government has asked the workers to hand over the money that belongs to the ministry as a condition to taking action and the employees have responded with more threats of blackmail.
That Thebran Bassil is doing a great job with the ministry. And aren't we all lucky that the FPM is holding the Hezbollah and AMAL in check within the M8 so that Hezbollah doesn't run off and make unilateral decisions of war and peace without reference to the constitution and that Nabih Berri doesn't stuff the government with his hangers on and stick the government with the bill.
