Citizens stage counter protest against EDL contractors

Fresh reports just in say that clashes erupted between ISF and citizens protesting the EDL contract workers’ movement in front of EDL headquarters in Corniche el-Nahr

Earlier in the day a press conference was held by  the general director of Electricité du Liban Kamal Hayek whereby he stressed that the "dignity of the contractors is the dignity of the company". He added that a meeting will take place tomorrow in the presence of the Ministers of Energy, Interior, and Justice to discuss this pressing issue.

“The situation at the EDL has reached a boiling point and cannot go on as such, something must be done otherwise the company will not be able to afford next month’s salaries and will not be able to conduct any maintenance work on the company’s facilities,” he said.

Earlier, EDL contract workers and bill collectors held protests across a number of Lebanese areas.

In the Bekaa, the international road of Riyaq – Baalbek was reopened after having been blocked in the morning, with tires and stones, to protest the failure of the realization of their demands.  

In Cornish al-Naher, EDL contract workers moved the sit-in tent to the inside of the company building and declared that they would be undergoing a hunger strike until further notice.

In Jounieh, a number of EDL contract workers gathered outside the company’s complex, attempting to enter the building, but security forces rushed to the scene and closed the building’s gates preventing entry. In this context, a worker told LBCI that their protest will continue until the contractors receive their salaries.

In turn, EDL announced that on July 13th contract bill collectors’ revenues were signed, adding that the EDL had fulfilled all payments related to the aforementioned revenues.          

In part, the EDL has called on all contracting bill collectors to deliver related bills and cash withheld from the company since the start of the strike, and has threatened to take legal procedures should the contractors fail to deliver those “public funds”.