EDL employees launch three-day sit-in demanding fair wages, pensions

BEIRUT — Employees at several branches of state-owned Electricité du Liban launched what they say is a three-day sit-in Wednesday, the National News Agency reported.

Here’s what we know:

•  According to the NNA, the head of EDL employees' union Charbel Saleh is calling for wages to be aligned with those of company contractors. "We will not accept anything less," he warned, "because the salary of the lowest employee of these providers is worth a manager’s salary."

•  He also called for full hospital coverage for EDL employees and their retirement pensions conform to the same terms as all public sector workers.

•  At the end of yesterday’s meeting, the union called on workers to join the sit-in to challenge the electricity sector reform plan proposed by Energy Minister Walid Fayad. The employees say this plan “gives priority” to private contractors employed by EDL and gives them “advances” as well as “exceptional power and control over [electricity] distribution.”