Lebanon is facing a series of telephone and Internet blackouts as employees of the state-owned operator Ogero have been on open strike since 24 March to demand better working conditions, including a pay rise, against the backdrop of the Lebanese pound's decline on the parallel market.

At a meeting held at the General Confederation of Trade Unions' headquarters, the Executive Council of the Trade Union Confederation of Public Enterprises and Independent Services called on the authorities to adjust salaries, pay them in US dollars, and reimburse in full the medical expenses paid by employees until the social security rates are revised.

The National Federation of Worker and Employee Trade Unions in Lebanon (FENASOL) noted in a statement last week that "in light of corruption, high prices, political vacuum, security chaos, and the official's abdication of their responsibility, people suffer from oppression and humiliation in hospitals, pharmacies, banks, supermarkets, schools, and administrations."

Members of the National Federation of Worker and Employee Trade Unions in Lebanon (FENASOL) met on January 19, with labour and parliamentary components to take a unified position on the Lebanese government’s policies on the living and economic issues and the financial crisis.

Lebanese economists have noted that remittances contribute to strengthening the purchasing power of more than 250,000 families in the light of the collapse of the national currency.