Civil Defense Volunteers Block Roads to Press for Full-Time Employment

A number of Civil Defense volunteers on Sunday blocked several roads across Lebanon to press for the approval by parliament of a law that would turn them into full-timers.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq contacted the parliament's general secretary, expressing willingness to discuss his observations over the law, which he had asked parliament to suspend its debate during last Wednesday's session.

“The rights of volunteers, employees and contract workers will be fully preserved under the law in a manner that would achieve justice for everyone – for the treasury as well as for the Civil Defense volunteers,” Mashnouq said.

In Northern Metn, the volunteers blocked the eastern lane of the highway between Nahr el-Mot and Jal el-Dib.

Other volunteers blocked the road near the Aley roundabout at the intersection of the town of Shwit, according to LBCI television.

They are demanding that parliament pass a law on the affairs of the Directorate General of Civil Defense, which would turn them into full-time employees after long years of service during which many of their colleagues were killed while performing rescue operations.

“We are not blocking the roads. We are the ones who open the roads and douse burning tires,” one of them said, referring to the symbolic, brief sit-ins that were held to make their voice heard.

The volunteers had staged several sit-ins in recent days in Chtaura, Raouche, Cola, Jounieh and Aley, erecting what they called “love checkpoints.”

The parliament will hold a legislative session on Wednesday and Thursday, with several key issues on its agenda, topped by the new wage scale.

Y.R.