The Union of Ogero employees has decided to postpone its open strike for one week, awaiting a final response from Minister of Communications Johnny Karam concerning the committee assigned to address the implications of the financial crisis on public facility operations, regarding proposals for a settlement with the employees. The union responded positively to this proposal, considering that it could lower its demand if it received a cost-of-living increase of 1,325,000 Lebanese pounds incorporated into the basic salary, even if this amount is less than its initial demand for a 2.2-fold increase in the basic salary. The strike postponement means a return to operations within the telecommunications sector, at least regarding operational and maintenance activities.
In a meeting held yesterday between Minister Karam and a delegation from the Ogero employees' union, an agreement was reached, according to sources from "Al-Akhbar", which includes the following provisions: implementation of decrees for increased transportation allowances, social assistance, productivity compensation, and cost-of-living increases. However, the last decree will not be as the union requested, namely a 2.2-fold increase in the basic salary and inclusion of the increase within the basic salary; instead, it will be similar to what the private sector received, which is an increase of 1,325,000 Lebanese pounds that will only be added to the basic salary. This point was a contentious issue between the employees and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who promised them their demands but later retracted, stating that the increase should not be included in the fundamental salary.
Both parties have made concessions. The negotiation process unfolded as follows: initially, the authorities refused to acknowledge Ogero employees' right to benefit from the cost-of-living allowance decree, but with the ongoing strike and under its pressure, the authorities were compelled to negotiate with the union concerning the cost-of-living adjustment, although they proposed it should be outside the salary, similar to social assistance, making it temporary and contingent upon the signatures of the Ministers of Communications and Finance, along with the Prime Minister.
The negotiations in the past two days concluded with Mikati's stubbornness and insistence on proceeding as proposed. However, the union threatened to escalate and withdraw all positive initiatives reflecting the ongoing negotiations. In yesterday's meeting, Karam proposed a new arrangement that included reducing the increase and incorporating it into the salary. This formulation received the union's approval, which abandoned its study conducted at Ogero that deemed the increase necessary under the framework of 2.2 times the basic salary, referring to it as "the minimum possible rights."
The source of the settlement was a letter sent to Ogero from Minister of Labor Mustafa Bayram. The letter states that based on Ogero's internal financial system, the organization is allowed to establish its own salary scale, starting from the current minimum wage of 2,000,000 Lebanese pounds, following the approval of the cost-of-living increase.
Information from "Al-Akhbar" indicates that last June, Ogero sent its salary scale that accounted for the cost of living to Karam, who approved it and forwarded it to Finance Minister Youssef Khalil, where it "went dormant" in the drawers of the Ministry of Finance. However, according to Article 5 of the Ogero establishment law, the Finance Minister's approval must occur within a month from the date of correspondence, or else it becomes valid.
The strike remains a viable option, especially if Mikati or Khalil decide to undermine the settlement. Karam believes this progress resulted from "the conviction that confrontation and raising demands destroy the sector rather than provide a solution." Similarly, Abdullah Ismail, the Secretary of the Ogero union, noted that "Karam showed concern for the employees' rights and changed his discussion style." However, these developments have caused confusion among employees who believe the union "has retreated from their rights that could have been achieved through a specific cost-of-living series implemented by the organization."
