Cabinet Adopts Alternative Wage Hike Decree, Rejects Nahhas'

The cabinet on Wednesday approved a wage increase decree other than that proposed by Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas, amid the objection of Free Patriotic Movement ministers.

Briefing reporters after the cabinet session, Information Minister Walid al-Daouq said: “A wage increase decree other than that proposed by Minister Nahhas was discussed and it received the required majority of votes and this is the democratic game.”

“The decree we proposed was rejected and they adopted a hybrid plan, and I announce to the Lebanese that the minimum wage did not hit the mark of LBP 1.2 million or even LBP 960,000 as they were expecting,” Al-Jadeed television quoted Nahhas as saying after leaving the session.

MTV said Prime Minister Najib Miqati opened the session by “calling on everyone to respect each other and resort to constitutional institutions,” saying “let no one try to intimidate the premier or threaten to boycott cabinet.”

“Under the new decree, a 30% pay raise will be granted to those earning less than LBP 1 million (per month) and a 20% pay raise will be granted to those earning more than LBP 1 million,” LBC television reported, noting that “dismay showed on the faces of FPM ministers as they left the session.”

But according to Future News television, the minimum wage has been raised to “LBP 600,000” and “employees earning less than LBP 1 million will get a raise of LBP 150,000, those earning from LBP 1 million-LBP 2 million will get a raise of LBP 225,000, and those earning more than LBP 2 million will get a raise of LBP 275,000.”