The administration of the Lebanese state-run Tele-Liban TV has decided to dismiss 503 employees and close the station down for a period of three months, sources were quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper.
Employees will be paid indemnities worth $33 million as specified in the collective bargaining contract, the sources said.
The sources added that the station would reopen after the implementation of a number of reforms, including the cancellation of the collective bargaining contract.
During an interview with NBN on Wednesday, information minister Ghazi Aridi promised a "radical" solution for the official media "for the first time in the country's history," said the paper.
"The move was politically important because it is seen as a test of the government's ability to dismiss surplus members of the administration," a source said.
It may also be a "rehearsal" for other moves, elsewhere, to reduce the number of employees and alleviate the burden on the treasury, he added.
According to the paper, other government institutions face similar cutbacks.
They include Middle East Airlines, the National Social Security Fund, public transportation services, and Casino du Liban.
TL's employees union, which has vigorously opposed any attempt to break the collective bargaining agreement, is scheduled to hold a general assembly in four days, the paper added - Albawaba.com
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