Nahhas Describes Wage Hike Approval as ‘Accomplishment’
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas said that he will refer the wage hike plan approved by the cabinet to the Shura Council on Thursday to get its response swiftly.
“If the Shura Council approved the decision it will be sent quickly to the official gazette so that it becomes as of December,” Nahhas told al-Liwaa newspaper on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the minister pushed his own proposal on the table of the government which approved it after receiving the vote of 15 ministers.
Nahhas described the vote result as an “accomplishment achieved by the cabinet in its path towards change and reform.”
The new cabinet decision calls for raising the minimum wage to LL868,000 from the current LL500,000 – a sum that includes a LL236,000 transportation allowance.
Ministerial sources told al-Liwaa that Nahhas’ proposal surprised President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati especially after the premier reached an agreement with the Economic Committees and the General Labor Confederation on settling the minimum wage rate at LL675,000.
Miqati had previously made another proposal and was approved by the cabinet on Dec. 7 other than that proposed by Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas. It states that the minimum wage should be increased by LL100,000 to LL600,000, salaries under LL1 million by 30 percent up to a LL200,000 increase, and salaries above LL1 million by a 20 percent increase up to LL275,000.
Change and Reform parliamentary bloc sources told As Safir newspaper that Wednesday’s session is a “victory achieved through the constitution and the law by voting on the project proposed by the competent minister.”
“Miqati’s agreement with the GLC and the Economic Committees bypassed the constitution and the Labor Minister who is the only one that has the right to propose a vote on the wage hike,” the sources added.
They noted that the cabinet’s approval of Nahhas’ project is a “new stage” that all the parties will have to “cohabit with, which will be based on the reality that there is a real majority that decided to act.”
22 December 2011, 10:31
35
Shame on you, shame on your party!
The way things were handled are disgusting! Aoun went crying to Hezbollah in order not to loose face, and he got his wish granted...
Hezboland, and and Michel Aoun their Ambassador...
22 December 2011, 10:38
24
a large majority inside the FPM, like fady abboud, were coerced into voting for this.
many FPM supporters will leave them after this.
22 December 2011, 10:43
17
This was a pure political message from Hizb to all Lebanese in general and to the PM/The president and to Jumblat in particular letting them know that things will go their way whenever they decided to.
Pure indication that this Cabinet is totally controlled by Hizb and their proxy's (the rest of the puppets).
Miqati should put his foot down, save the rest of his dignity and blow this cabinet at the first chance, this is not a Lebanese Cabinet and will never be...It is under the control of Iran, Syria and a mad psycho!!
22 December 2011, 12:09
28
Sweating....Your nut of a brain cannot see the big picture, you are soooo blind to a point that you cannot read between the lines, never mind, we do not expect more than that from you
22 December 2011, 12:53
14
@stupid demon
please review the morning Show on LBC where faid abboud was talking totally against this dangerous economical stupidity. :)
personally, I have had over 50 calls today from many employers stating they cannot afford it, and some advising they will reduce their employees at least in half, while others have decided to close totally.
this creates a bad environment for any work to prosper.
hope you get smarter some day and start opening your eyes beyond just following your masters blindly...
22 December 2011, 16:57
51
The brainless haters do not see a long-overdue increase in the salary of the struggling workers of Lebanon FROM ALL SECTS AND WALKS OF LIFE as an accomplishment. They see it as shameful and disgusting. If these dumbos look at themselves in the mirror, they will cover it with spit.
22 December 2011, 17:34
02
@mowaten
I am surprised of your above comment, as I thought you were a bit reasonable.
22 December 2011, 17:36
01
and by the way, yes today this is the most important subject all are followig up on.
22 December 2011, 18:14
00
So the workers union and employers union agree on a wage hike they can both live with and does not damage the economy but the communist still want to have his way even if the economy goes bust.
22 December 2011, 18:26
00
868000-236000 = 632000 this is the new minimum wage
The one proposed by Employers and employees was 675000... > 632000
236000 transportation allowance
22 December 2011, 19:05
02
those who call it a victory haven t an ounce of care for the people... it is an insult to the people, just a little pocket money and they call that a victory!
if they really want reforms they should start by reforming the state! lowering the number of Mps, stopping to give them a lifetime salary even if no more in office, stop giving a chauffeur to the wives of officers, computerize all the public services to stop the corruption of employees and above, stop the privileges given to the army and ISF...
they should stop by wasting people s money and cotrol the prices and anarchic raises of rent and real estate!!!
a victory? pffff, just little crumbs to make people believe they are caring for them...
22 December 2011, 19:29
00
Yes I will now have to fire some employees as we won't be able to afford this wage increase.
When you have many employees this decision hurts.
This will also make us lose our competitive edge.
So we are going to have unemployment, less business coming in to Lebanon, more going to other countries.
