Lebanon on cusp of network blackout as dispute grows with telecom workers
The Lebanese government has threatened to take over the country’s state-run telecom company with the help of the army as workers continue to strike for a salary increase.
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of Telecommunication Johnny Corm warned Thursday of country's military likely takeover of the state-run telecom company Ogero amid a growing dispute between the government and the company’s employees, who have been on a week-long strike demanding pay increases.
The news is only the latest in the full-fledged collapse that Lebanon is undergoing, as it faces an unprecedented economic crisis, political and security void.
“I spoke with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati this morning and he asked me to [allow] for the intervention of the Lebanese army and for us to take over Ogero,” Corm said in an interview with the local Radio Liban Libre station.
“I will not see citizens be taken hostage. The internet is a basic need and is necessary for the continuity of life and any interruption is prohibited,” he added.
