BEIRUT: Landlines will remain functional for subscribers who were unable to pay their monthly bill because of civil service strike action, he Telecommunications Ministry said Monday.

"Given the strike carried out by the public sector, the Telecommunications Ministry would like to inform subscribers of landlines that it asked concerned parties not to cut off the lines of those who have not paid their bill of January 2013," a statement from the ministry said.

It added that another notice could be released in this regard for the coming months.

A four-week strike by civil servants employees and teachers has crippled most public sector offices including the telecoms ministry with subscribers to landlines and DSL unable to pay their monthly bills.

The strike is in protest against the government’s failure to refer a new salary scale for the public sector that includes wage hikes to Parliament for final approval.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said he needs more time to study means to finance the scale which is expected to cost the treasury some $1.2 billion.