An Ogero center in the Badaro neighborhood of Beirut. (Credit: P.H.B./L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — Caretaker Telecommunications Minister Johnny Corm said he met on Tuesday with the head of the resigning government, Najib Mikati, to discuss possible responses to the demands of the employees of Ogero, the public operator in charge of managing the fixed telephone and internet networks in Lebanon, and to put a definitive end to their strike.
"We have put several short and medium-term proposals on the table to solve the problem, we agreed on the way forward, we agreed to submit these proposals to the Department of Consultations and Legislation [at the Ministry of Justice] and we will present them at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers which should be held, God willing, next week," said the minister in a press briefing at the Grand Serail. He insisted that the telecoms sector was pivotal to any project for the country's recovery and that the case of Ogero should be treated separately from the rest of the public service.
The minister did not provide a proposal with figures. The unions of Ogero employees and employees of the Ministry of Telecommunications have demanded several including upgrades of salaries, coverage of school fees for their children, medical insurance and transportation costs.
"The Prime Minister has been open to proposals and the unions have welcomed the feedback from our meeting [Tuesday]," said Corm.
Ogero employees went on strike on March 24, causing major disruptions to the networks they manage and to the mobile network of Alfa, which shares some equipment with the public operator. That of the other mobile operator, Touch, was not affected. The strike was suspended on Saturday until the next meeting of the Council of Ministers, which was initially announced for this week and whose end will be marked by the Catholic Easter holidays.