Alfa and Touch employees still on strike for 5th day

Employees at Alfa and Touch companies have been on strike for five days already. Thus, until now, there are no indications that the strike will be stopped or suspended. The union of employees of companies operating the mobile sector is adamant about extending its strike until its demands are satisfied: Raises and promotions for employees according to the collective work contract.

However, Caretaker Minister of Labor Moustafa Bayram and Head of Media and Telecommunications Parliamentary Committee MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi joined the negotiations between Caretaker Telecoms Minister Johnny Corm and the union.

The Telecoms Minister had authorized him and al-Moussawi to engage in negotiations with the union, the Minister of Labor told LBCI.

Accordingly, Bayram and al-Moussawi met with the union to discuss its demands and point of view after they met with the Telecoms Minister.

The next step will be a meeting where the administrations of Alfa and Touch companies will join them. At this meeting, they will discuss the direction of the two companies, their financial standing, their stances on the strike and the employees' demands to find a compromise that will ensure the continuation of this essential sector and the granting of the employees' rights.

Based on this meeting, what is necessary will be developed, but according to Bayram, the union president's and the telecoms minister's points of view are at odds.

Stances of the two mobile telecoms companies

Touch assured LBCI that it is conducting business as usual out of concern for the company's and its customers' best interests while upholding all of the rights of devoted employees.

Alfa sources informed LBCI that the administration met with the union. It believes its demands to be fair and will take them into account and present them to the Telecoms Minister, who is the final decision-maker. The company then asked the employees to suspend their strike as a goodwill gesture.