A new catastrophe is descending upon the Lebanese people. The telecommunications network is on the brink of collapse. This sector, which is the beating heart of the economy, serves as the connection between all sectors and between Lebanon and the world. The economic downturn has greatly impacted Ogero, and if the issues of providing fuel, maintenance, and the costs of global licenses, in addition to improving employee salaries, are not addressed, Lebanese citizens will soon be unable to make landline or mobile calls, nor access the internet or use computers and mobile applications.
**Dollarization of Telecommunications Salaries?**
After the malfunction of dozens of exchanges in various regions, citizens have grown weary of the dire situation. One owner of a central exchange, who requested anonymity, expressed his anger, stating, "Countries around the world are progressing, while Lebanon is regressing." He questioned, "How can any entity execute an open-ended strike with repercussions that harm society and the economy, disrupting people's livelihoods?"
In response, the President of the Ogero Employees Union, Emily Nassar, rejected the accusations against employees regarding the disruption of exchanges. In an interview, she stated that the electric generators are nearly out of order and that the employees have been working diligently despite the poor economic conditions. However, she noted, "We have had enough," as "the value of our salaries has become equivalent to transportation expenses." She confirmed that Ogero employees have not received maintenance funds or contracts, and that decrees, when issued, do not reach the authority.
According to the employees' union, a solution must come from the Lebanese authorities. In this context, a source in the Ministry of Telecommunications told us that "the primary demand of Ogero employees is the dollarization of part of their salaries, with the other part calculated on the Sayrafa platform." The source added that "if Minister Qaram decides to raise tariffs, he will increase the salaries of employees in the mobile networks MTC and Alfa, not Ogero."
**Kreidi Questions the Military’s Role**
Amid this debate, Ogero employees were surprised by a statement from Minister of Telecommunications Johnny Qaram on Thursday morning, announcing that after consulting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the Lebanese army might be asked to take over the entire sector to prevent citizens from becoming hostages.
In response to the decision, the director of Ogero, Imad Kreidi, stated in an interview that the army’s involvement requires government approval, affirming he has no knowledge of whether this would happen. He confirmed that the union has expressed its readiness to hand over all its centers to the army, adding, "If necessary, I will personally request them to implement the decision." He also noted that "electricity has been absent from Lebanon for 10 years, and we haven't seen any army intervention to keep this sector functioning."
Kreidi asked, "How prepared is the army to go to the exchanges?" reminding that "employees of the Ministry of Finance only come to work one day a week, and we haven't seen any army intervention or movement regarding this issue." He mentioned that he acted as a mediator between the union and the Minister of Telecommunications, maintaining neutrality between the parties. He emphasized that he opposes disrupting people's livelihoods and rejects holding citizens hostage, but at the same time understands the employees' strike for their rights.
Minister Qaram later issued a statement on Thursday afternoon confirming that any decisions related to employee affairs or financial disbursements are not within his authority but are matters for the Cabinet. He expressed that he is striving to convey employee demands and concerns to the decision-making authority. The Minister urged the Council of Ministers to hold an emergency session to address the issues of Ogero employees.
The Ogero situation is similar to other issues facing Lebanon's state institutions, which are suffering a collapse due to the severe economic crisis. Until a political agreement is reached to hold a government session and a decision is made, whether to militarize the telecommunications sector or to dollarize it, the strike persists, along with the country's future.
