Economic Committees Refuse Nahhas’ Wage Hike, GLC to Meet Friday to Decide Position
Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ wage hike proposal faced another controversy on Thursday after the Economic Committees refused to comment on the cabinet’s new decision, while the General Labor Confederation hinted it might suspend its planned strike.
Head of GLC Ghasan Ghosn told al-Liwaa newspaper on Thursday that the Confederation might suspend its strike on December 27 that was aimed at protesting low wages.
However, he noted that the executive council will meet on Friday to take the final decision on the wage hike approved by the cabinet on Wednesday.
Ghosn said that the Economic Committees and the GLC had agreed with Prime Minister Najib Miqati on fixing the minimum wage rate at LL675,000 before the cabinet session at Baabda Palace.
Despite the agreement between the three parties, Nahhas pushed his own proposal on the table of the government which approved it after receiving the vote of 15 ministers.
For his part, the director of the Chamber of Commerce for Mount Lebanon and Beirut Mohammed Shuqair told al-Liwaa that the Economic Committees will refer to the Shura Council to reject the decision taken by the government.
The new cabinet decision calls for raising the minimum wage to LL868,000 from the current LL500,000 – a sum that includes a LL236,000 transportation allowance.
Workers earning less than LL1.5 million receive an 18 percent increase while salaries between LL1.5 million and LL2.5 million receive an additional 10 percent on the second salary bracket. Wages above LL2.5 million will not earn an additional increase.
Shuqair wondered how the cabinet could take a “political decision” and not abide by the agreement made by the GLC and the Economic Committees.
“Nahhas’ proposal is political… he and everyone who voted in favor of his decision will be responsible of the bankruptcies,” Shuqair added.
According to As Safir newspaper, the Economic Committees will meet on Thursday to take the “right decision.”
The 15 votes in favor of the proposal were seen as a political message sent by Hizbullah, Amal and the Free Patriotic Movement against Miqati.
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