Controversial Wage Boost on Cabinet Agenda Amid Threats of Strikes
The cabinet is set to discuss on Wednesday the controversial decrees proposed by Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas on the wage boost to Lebanon’s employees in the public and private sectors.
While the participation of Nahhas along with the other Free Patriotic Movement ministers in the session is not clear yet, the salary raise is on the meeting’s agenda.
But the issue has faced the rejection of the General Labor Confederation. A GLC delegation visited Premier Najib Miqati on Monday and informed him that it refuses to abide by any government decision on the wage boost as proposed by Nahhas.
The Economic Committees that are made up of owners of big businesses and firms have also rejected the minister’s proposal.
As for the Syndicate Coordination Committee, it gave an ultimatum of two weeks saying it could resort to strikes and protests if the cabinet failed to approve the wage boost in accordance with its proposals at the Price Index Committee.
It stressed that wages in both the private and public sector should increase by 60 percent for those earning the minimum LL500,000 salary, 40 percent for people earning less than LL1 million and 20 percent for workers with salaries above LL1 million.
Nahhas’ proposal includes the increase of the monthly minimum wage to LL860,000, a 17 percent raise for salaries up to LL1 million and an increase of LL170,000 for those earning more than LL1 million.
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