Lebanese government threatens army take over of telecom company Ogero amid strike

The Lebanese Caretaker Minister of Telecommunication threatened on Thursday that the Lebanese Army could take over the state internet company amid an escalating dispute between company leadership and striking workers.

In a radio interview Thursday, Telecom Minister Johnny Corm said that he was asked by PM Najib Mikati for the "intervention of the army and completely turn over Ogero [to the army]."

"I can't accept that citizens are taken hostage. The internet is necessary and basic for the continuity of life and any interruption is prohibited," Corm added.

The Lebanese Army Spokesperson declined to comment on the matter when approached by The New Arab.

The minister's comments occurred as a week-long strike has threatened to put much of Lebanon’s internet out of service.

Ogero stations all over the country, including part of the capital Beirut, will be out of service if the strike continues.

The country's two cell phone providers, Alfa and Touch, will also be affected by the blackouts as they use Ogero to route their data.

Employees launched the open-ended strike last Friday in protest of declining salaries, which have been severely affected by the country's depreciating currency.

The Lebanese lira has lost about 98 per cent of its value relative to the US dollar since the beginning of the country's financial crisis in 2019.

Public sector employees have been especially affected by currency depreciation, as their salaries are fixed by ministerial decrees. Strikes by public employees in various departments have become common.

Later on Thursday, Corm urged Ogero employees to end their strike and "return to dialogue," while calling for an emergency session at the Council of Ministers to discuss the strike.