GLC Rejects ‘Humiliating’ Wage Boost, Threatens to Stage a General Strike
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
President of the General Labor Confederation Ghassan Ghosn slammed on Thursday the wage hike decree adopted by the cabinet, describing it as “humiliating.”
“We reject this humiliating wage boost because it doesn’t reach out to the hopes of the workers and their demands,” Ghosn told An Nahar newspaper.
The cabinet approved on Wednesday a wage hike other than the decree proposed by Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas, where minimum wage increased by LL100,000 to LL600,000, salaries under LL1 million by 30% up to a LL200,000 increase, and salaries above LL1 million by a 20% increase up to LL275,000.
Ghosn threatened to stage a general strike.
“I will call for a meeting for the GLC executive council to take the necessary measures… We are headed toward announcing a return to general strike,” Ghosn told the daily.
Nehme Mahfoud, who heads the private schools teachers association, revealed that they “will stage a strike and protests on Tuesday.”
“We reject the decree which clearly contradicts the Shura Council decision concerning the cabinet’s previous proposal to raise the minimum wage and salaries,” Mahfoud told An Nahar.
The Shura Council turned down the cabinet’s proposal in October to raise the minimum wage to LL700,000 and give workers earning less than LL1 million a LL200,000 raise while increasing the wages of employees earning between LL1 million and LL1.8 million a LL300,000 raise.
But the main reason behind the Council’s rejection of the cabinet’s salary boost was the failure to give raises to workers whose salaries are more than LL1.8 million.
While the Beirut Traders Association opposed the cabinet’s decree, the director of the Chamber of Commerce for Mount Lebanon and Beirut Mohammed Shuqair hailed the proposal.
“It’s an excellent (proposal) and we will abide by it in order to improve the workers conditions,” Shuqair stressed to An Nahar.
The newspaper reported that the Economic Committees will try to convince the GLC with the cabinet’s proposal during a meeting that will be held on Thursday.
08 December 2011, 09:38
12
Strike, and if necessary, bring the government down. Otherwise, you too shut the hell up once and for all. Nobody has any guts anymore! Only loud mouths.
08 December 2011, 09:57
12
People, now is the time to revolt and turn the table over the heads of these corrupt politicians. Move your butts. Stop being their mules and leading yourselves towards more misery and more pain.
08 December 2011, 11:00
11
Very fair deal, I think it is too much, as with the economic slump people are loosing their jobs all over the world, no one is asking for a raise. Our economy is interlinked with that of the surrounding countries which are in turmoil. All economic data is negative compared to 2010, where are we ti find the money to pay for salary hikes?
08 December 2011, 16:32
10
We shouldn't underestimate the power of domestic purchasing power. The more money that local Lebanese citizens have, the more they are able to spend. A further increase might have immediate pain to some industries, but with the right amount of tariffs on foreign imports and workers, this will eventually mean more economic growth based on local consumer spending. Every rise should be equalled with taxes on foriegn competition. No economy can flourish without at least 50% local spending. Nahhas's plan was not too far off. He gave less of an increase to the higher paid workers and more for the lower. Add clever tariff and taxes on foriegn workers and this will mean better self suffient economy... Especially in winter when the tourists leave.
The rich might not be happy immediately but it will all end up improving the economy... bar any war or major deteriation in stability. This would begin a domino effect that would reach the highest paid and keep more lebs here!
08 December 2011, 18:11
00
@ado.
your comment is way off base.
The more money the unproductive Lebanese have, the more inflation we have, the poorer we will become. Look at the greeks living beyond their means where they are now when they aligned the salaries of their unproductive workforce with the euro zone. compare with the inexpensive polish living within their means.
forget local spending. everybody is already buying cars worth more than their appartments and spending money they dont have for impressing others.
The plan of wage increase is a recipe for future disaster. wait and see inflation results...
08 December 2011, 21:35
01
a lot of countries are dealing with reducing the public expenses. lebanon should start by that and reduce all the waste of money generously given to the MPs, army officers, the families of these two, reducing the number of MP in the parliament which is so ridiculous compared to the size of lebanon and so on....
but who has the balls to do that? no one because they ALL benefit from it...
so improving the lives of the lebanese people is the least of their concerns!
