Civil Defense Volunteers to be Granted Demands, Undergo Full-Time Employment Exam

A meeting held on Monday at the Interior Ministry led to consensus over the full-employment of Civil Defense volunteers after several protests were held in different areas across the country.

Al-Mustaqbal MP Hadi Hobeish said in remarks to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) that Wednesday's parliamentary session will include on its agenda a draft-law regarding the full-employment of the volunteers.

However, he pointed out that the volunteers will have to undergo an exam to determine their qualifications and those who pass would be upgraded.

Earlier, Civil Defense volunteers from nine stations held a sit-in near their regional center in the northern town of Qobeiyat.

The volunteers had staged several sit-ins in recent days across Lebanon erecting what they called “love checkpoints.”

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.

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

- H. K.

- G. K.