EDL Contract Workers Warn of Power Outage if 'Conspiracy' Continues
Electricite du Liban contract workers warned on Monday that Lebanon will plunge in darkness if the parliament endorses an urgent draft-law proposed by Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan, considering it a “conspiracy.”
The contract workers closed the gates of the company's headquarters in Mar Mikhael, burning tires in its premises to protest the draft-law, which they argue it contradicted the agreement they had reached with the government of ex-Prime Minister Najib Miqati when they lifted their 95-day sit-in last year.
The workers began rallying at 9:00 a.m. at the premises of the company to protest attempts by the parliament to adopt a draft-law that they reject.
Their colleagues across Lebanon staged sit-ins near EDL branches in support to the rally held in Beirut's Mar Mikhael neighborhood.
The original agreement stated that around 1,800 contract employees would be upgraded to full-timers, however, the draft-law said that all workers should undergo an exam to determine their qualifications and those who pass would be upgraded.
The contract workers considered the draft-law as a “conspiracy,” rejecting to undergo exams by Civil Service Commission and demanding exams to be held by the company under CSC supervision.
The original agreement had said that the contract workers who fail would get a compensation amounting to two-month salary/year, however, under the draft-law the compensation would amount to one-month wage per year.
The draft-law was signed by Kanaan, AMAL movement MP Ali Bazzi and Hizbullah MP Ali Ammar.
Kanaan told LBCI later on that he was one of the lawmakers who signed the draft-law, denying that he was the one to propose it.
“If the contract workers wanted to modify the draft-law they should propose their suggestions to the parliament,” the MP said.
Kanaan pointed out that he inked the draft-law “under a request by the heads of all parliamentary blocs, including (speaker Nabih) Berri.”
Most contract employees are loyal to Berri, who is the head of AMAL movement.
The contract workers blocked briefly the two lanes of the Karantina highway, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Later, Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi arrived at the scene, urging demonstrators to open the road.
“The demands of the protesters should be treated in a calm political way,” Qazzi said.
- H. K.
- G. K.
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