Caretaker Minister of Telecommunications Johnny Corm assured, on Friday, that he would receive “in stages the funds allocated to him in the 2024 budget to maintain the communication networks of the public telephone and internet provider, Ogero.”
Corm stated that he was working to find a solution to Ogero employees’ strike, due to start next Monday. He announced that a meeting has been scheduled with Bechara al-Asmar, the Head of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers, for this purpose on Monday. He also said that he had requested a meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berry, in coordination with the chairman of the Parliamentary Telecoms Committee.
Ogero employees are demanding salaries more in line with the economic situation, and deplore the catastrophic conditions in which they work. Their main demands include an increase in their wages and benefits, as well as indexation to the new dollar exchange rate. Given the devaluation of the pound, their current salaries represent only a very small percentage of their pre-crisis value.
Regarding the employees of cell phone operators Alfa and Touch, Corm pointed out that “the question of the collective contract” is still pending, but that discussions are underway to reach an agreement.
As for the contingency plan to secure the communications and internet network in the event of an extended Israeli war against Lebanon and the targeting of its infrastructure, Corm asserted that certain solutions are in the process of being implemented, but that they are strictly confidential for fear of them being divulged to the enemy.
