The Electricite du Liban (EDL) headquarters in Beirut. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — On Thursday, the Electricité du Liban (EDL) employees' union called on its members to go on strike from Friday, April 19, to Friday, April 26, to demand, among other things, fairer wages.
The strike concerns all the public electricity supplier's work centers, "with the exception of production plants, deputies at main relay plants and anything protecting public safety," a statement reads. This means that the Deir Ammar and Zahrani power plants should continue to operate normally.
The communique mainly calls for wage adjustments, specifically the update of salaries granted in the 2024 budget, and inclusion of full healthcare coverage, and the recalibration of retirement pensions.
EDL provides only a few hours of power a day, as the country grapples with an economic crisis driven by corruption and mismanagement. Much of the country’s population depends on private generators, which are tolerated by the authorities and protected by the various political parties in power.