BEIRUT: Electricite Du Liban contract workers stepped back Monday from a planned strike to allow the restoration of power after a severe winter storm knocked out electricity cables.

“Given that the storm cut power to many Lebanese and in order to give political talks a chance, the committee of EDL contract workers decided to call off its strike action that was scheduled for Monday,” Ahmad Shoueib, a committee member, told The Daily Star.

Shoueib did not give deadlines but vowed that the contract workers’ “revolution” would continue until the 1,800 part-time workers across Lebanon became full-time employees.

The EDL employees’ union also suspended a strike last week as complaints mounted over severe power cuts following four days of a harsh winter storm that hit Lebanon last week.

“We will suspend the strike until the end of the month and will start repairs starting from now,” the head of the EDL employees’ union Charbel Abi Saleh said Friday.

He said the decision to suspend the strike was reached following a meeting with Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil.

Shoueib said the committee of EDL contract workers would keep its meetings open, pointing the finger of blame on Parliament’s Bureau Committee which has failed to convene due to the boycott by the March 14 coalition.