Bechara al-Asmar, the Head of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers, announced on Saturday that the strike of Tele Liban employees has been suspended, pending an upcoming financial resolution. This decision came after a meeting with the employees’ Syndicate of Tele Liban (TL). Asmar also insisted that “Tele Liban must return to its former glory.”
To recall, TL employees went on an open strike last Thursday, due to the government’s failure to provide them with compensation for the last 33 months.
As a result, Caretaker Minister of Information Ziad Makary announced the closure of the channel on Friday morning, leading to the suspension of its broadcasting. This abrupt declaration took the employees of Lebanon’s national television by surprise, triggering outrage among them.
Makary swiftly clarified, later in the day, that Tele Liban would not permanently close, but instead be temporarily suspended. TL’s broadcasting was later resumed in the late afternoon.
According to sources from a Tele Liban syndicate member to This is Beirut, employees of the emblematic public channel are expected to receive a portion of their compensation from the government next Monday, amounting to 12 months of compensation from a total of 33 months.
