Workers at Maasara Telephone Company (MTC) protested yesterday their "indefinite" position and the "obscurity" surrounding the company’s future, since operation at the firm’s factory has been suspended for the last two years, causing financial uncertainty for 1200 laborers.
About 200 workers protested in front of the main gate, saying they have not received their salaries until now. Security authorities spoke to the protesters and promised to pay out their salaries within 24 hours.
Workers said that they had received information about a meeting held two weeks ago between the foreign investor who bought the firm and officials at the investment, telecommunications, and manpower ministries, in addition to Ahli United Bank, which owns the biggest share of debts owed by the company. According to the workers’ information, those attending the meeting decided on the company’s future in light of the problems it faced after being sold to the foreign investor.
The workers added that they had turned to the workers union committee, whose officials declined to provide definite answers but mentioned that a general assembly will be convened on 20 December to decide all outstanding issues.
This response sparked rumors among employees who began to believe that possession of the company will fall under the bank’s grip, under the administration of the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology, and that early retirement will be made available to workers in order to cut their number down to only 200.
MTC staff demanded that the company’s future be decided in order to bring an end to their crisis: they need to know whether they will keep their jobs, and the amount of payment they will receive if they go for early retirement, given the low level pensions offered in the past.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
