The lists are dreaded by Syrian civil servants and public sector workers because when they see their names on them, they know they have lost their jobs. They discover these indexes at the entrances to administrations, hospitals and factories. On February 12, on the first floor of the Ministry of Electricity in Damascus, two circulars and hundreds of names were taped to a peeling wall. Although the new authorities, particularly those in charge of the energy sector, are struggling to keep the country's ailing infrastructure afloat after 13 years of war, the time has come to make clear cuts in the administration's workforce.

"As of February 1, the contracts of workers on fixed-term contracts have been terminated," said a first circular. "As of February 1, the workers whose names are shown opposite have been granted a three-month leave of absence," said the second. In all, 287 people were immediately dismissed; 223 were placed on compulsory leave with no guarantee of reinstatement.

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