The employee union of Lebanon’s two mobile operators, Alfa and Touch, might go an open strike starting Wednesday. Late into the evening, the union had not yet decided on a course of action
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Employees of Alfa and Touch, Lebanon’s cell phone operators, might go on an open strike starting Wednesday because management has not yet responded favorably to their demands. Late into the evening, union members of both companies were still meeting to decide on a course of action.
On Monday evening, Alfa and Touch’s employees’ union had issued an ultimatum to company management giving them a 24-hour ultimatum to readjust their salaries’ real value, stating that they would cease working if they failed to do so.
The union president, Nabil Youssef, told This is Beirut that, after a series of meetings and consultations with company management last week, “a decisive meeting was supposed to be held this week”. However, the meeting was postponed to a later date.
The union then requested Alfa and Touch to meet their demands before the scheduled meeting with the Caretaker Minister of Telecommunications, Johnny Corm, on May 24th.
A 5% increase
According to a source close to Alfa and Touch’s employees, the issue resides with the 5% increase in their salaries’ share of fresh dollars. They demand that it be raised from 35% to 40% of the total salary. They believe that, given the profits generated by the two operators, this increase is entirely possible. “We know and understand the situation of the two companies,” Nabil Youssef said.
However, not all employees share the same point of view. Some of them accuse Minister Corm of “wanting to sink the sector.” According the aforementioned source, Corm has forbidden the mobile operators from practicing a dollar against Lebanese pound exchange. Mr. Corm has denied these claims.
According to the same source, Minister Corm prevents sales points from receiving invoices in dollars and resellers from buying prepaid cards in dollars.
“The ministry is required to apply the decree according to which consumers must pay their bills and prepaid cards in Lebanese pounds at the Sayrafa platform rate,” said Corm to This is Beirut. He continues, “I do not have the prerogative allowing me to change this decision.”
Alfa and Touch employees had already threatened to go on strike on April 27th. This action, if taken, could significantly affect mobile phone and internet services in the country.
