Lebanon’s state utility company Electricite du Liban (EDL) called for all employees to return to work on 4 September after a week-long strike over contracts.

EDL contract employees went on the latest strike on 1 September to demand that all of the company’s 2,000 contract workers were made full-time employees. EDL had decided to make only 879 of the 2,000 full-time.

EDL contract employees have held a number of strikes and protests in recent weeks, resulting in prolonged blackouts.