Syndicate Coordination Committee to Go On with Strike as Miqati Fails to Avert its Decision

by Naharnet Newsdesk 14 December 2011, 10:15

The Syndicate Coordination Committee is going on with its strike set on Thursday as discussions with Prime Minister Najib Miqati and his envoy failed to avert its decision.

Head of the private schools teachers association Nehme Mahfoud told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) on Wednesday that the Syndicate regrets “the time spent discussing the cabinet’s approval of the wage hike with Miqati and his envoy.”

He called on the Lebanese citizens to participate en mass in Thursday’s strike that will include all schools.

Last week, the cabinet approved 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.

“No cabinet that respects itself accepts that the Shura Council turns down twice a decree on the wage hike,” Mahfoud stressed.

Miqati’s economic advisor, Samir Daher, informed the Syndicate on Tuesday that the wage increase decree was referred to the Shura Council without amendments.

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.

Head of the Association of Public Secondary School Education Teachers Hanna Gharib told VDL (93.3) that “Thursday’s protest will kick off at 11:00 am near UNESCO and will head towards the Grand Serail.”

He noted that the Syndicate will not back down on its decision because the stance taken by Miqati’s economic advisor has “backed down on all the what (the two parties) had agreed on.”

Meanwhile, the General Labor Confederation has decided to stage a strike across Lebanon on December 27 to protest the cabinet wage boost as the Syndicate and the GLC failed to unite their stances over the matter.