Premier Najib Miqati confirmed that there were no mediation efforts to resolve the government crisis that erupted after the cabinet sessions were suspended over a dispute between the PM and ministers loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun.

“There are no contacts and no mediations to resolve the current crisis,” Miqati told An Nahar daily published Saturday.

Confusion on telecom data has become a new source of contention after Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui reportedly withheld information from the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch over an alleged plot to assassinate its chief Col. Wissam al-Hassan.

According to An Nahar daily published Monday, Sehnaoui, who is loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, gave the Intelligence Branch information on telecom data on Friday for only 24 hours after he was informed about the alleged plot.

Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas said on Friday that the wage hike decree issued as an annex in the official gazette is aimed at activating it before the end of this month.

“Accelerating the release of the decree was aimed at including the wage hike in January’s salaries,” Nahhas stressed to As Safir newspaper on Friday.

The wage hike will be effective as of February after the official gazette, issued on Thursday, included the decree approved by the cabinet, which set the minimum wage at LL675,000.

The controversial wage increase was signed by President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, and Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas after the cabinet adopted the deal between the Economic Committees and the General Labor Confederation, which was sponsored by Miqati in December at the Baabda Palace.

Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas reiterated on Monday that he would not resign from the cabinet, but stressed that he refused to approve the transportation and education allowances decree.

“If some members (of the cabinet) don’t like my stance, then all they could do is to try to guarantee 20 ministers to approve my resignation,” he told As Safir newspaper.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged Lebanese politicians on Sunday to put their differences aside and deal with the country’s economic and social problems.

In his sermon, al-Rahi said: “The political leadership in Lebanon should preserve the backbone that guarantees the Lebanese entity’s strong presence … its economic growth.”

Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas reiterated on Saturday that he will not approve the transportation allowance taken by the cabinet because it’s "illegal."

Free Patriotic Movement Leader MP Michek “Aoun’s position is similar to mine” Nahhas told OTV after meeting with Aoun in Rabiyeh.

The cabinet ended on Wednesday an enduring debate over the wage hike by adopting the Baabda Palace deal that was sponsored by Prime Minister Najib Miqati in December and turning down Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ plan, which was approved by the Shura Council.

During a session held at the Grand Serail, the dispute over the “legality” of the transportation allowance remained the contention point as Nahhas put the issue to vote. But his proposal won the support of 10 ministers while 19 voted against it, according to newspapers published on Thursday.

The Economic Committees hoped on Thursday that Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas would turn the page of the bickering between him and the different production parties after the cabinet’s approval of a long awaited wage hike.

The head of the Chamber of Commerce, Mohammed Shuqair, who is part of the Committees, told An Nahar daily that the wage hike file “is now behind us.”

The cabinet session scheduled to be held at the Baabda Palace will not tackle the wage boost dispute as parties involved in the matter failed to reach consensus, according to newspapers published on Monday.

Speaker Nabih Berri voiced his support to the deal between the Economic Committees and the General Labor Confederation that was sponsored by Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Baabda Palace in December.