Collective Action

Employees of the two mobile telecommunications companies in Lebanon, Alfa and Touch, began a strike Thursday demanding better salaries, the state-run National News Agency reported. The strike was announced Wednesday. According to the NNA, the employees said that they decided to go on a strike after “exhausting the negotiations and consultations with the companies’ administrations without reaching a positive result.” As a result of the strike, the headquarters of the two mobile telecommunications companies as well as other branches and sales points across the country were closed Thursday, and the process of selling lines, recharge cards and customer services stopped, as did maintenance work on stations. The syndicate of workers and employees of both companies said they welcome, in the meantime, “any endeavors to help find a solution that would preserve the employees’ rights in full.”

وطنية -  المتن - بدأ موظفو شركتي الخلوي "ألفا" و"تاتش" تنفيذ الإضراب الذي دعت اليه نقابة الموظفين مطالبين بـ"تصحيح الخلل في قيمة الرواتب بعد استنفاد المفاوضات والمشاورات مع إدارات الشركتين من دون الوصول الى نتيجة ايجابية". وأقفلت كل فروع ألفا وتاتش ونقاط البيع في المراكز الرئيسية للشركات وفي المناطق وتوقفت عملية بيع الخطوط وبطاقات التشريج وخدمات الزبائن كما توقفت نتيجة الإضراب كل أعمال الصيانة للمحطات. وكانت نقابة موظفي ومستخدمي الشركات المشغلة للقطاع الخليوي قد اعلنت الإضراب مساء أمس تاركة اجتماعاتها مفتوحة، مرحبة "بأي مساع تساعد في ايجاد حل يحفظ حق الموظف بالكامل".

Employees of the two mobile telecommunications companies in Lebanon, Alfa and Touch, had held a strike from Thursday through Sunday demanding better salaries. The head of the Mobile Employees Union, Marc Aoun, told L’Orient Today that the union suspended its strike for 48 hours starting on Monday after the employees, the syndicate of workers and employees, and the management of the two mobile telecommunications companies negotiated and shook hands on a “deal.” Aoun said he preferred not to disclose the deal’s contents as to not compromise its passage at the ministerial level, adding that the last step lies with the Telecommunications Ministry. Aoun added that should the Telecommunications Minister Johnny Corm not sign off on the deal within the 48-hour limit, Alfa and Touch employees will proceed with “some proper measurements,” without specifying what the measurements will be.