Shammas Meets PM: We Won’t Resume Wage Hike Talks as Agreement Has Been Reached with GLC

The Economic Committees hoped on Thursday that the government would retract its wage hike decree and return to the agreement that was reached between the Committees and the General Labor Confederation.

A delegation from the Committees held a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati during which it lamented the politicization of the wage hike, slamming its “disregard for the historic agreement that was reached with the GLC.”

The head of the Beirut Merchant Association Nicolas Shammas said after the talks: “Our meeting was aimed at renewing our commitment to the agreement.”

“We cannot return to negotiations over the wage hike because the agreement over the matter has already been reached,” he stressed.

On December 21, the Committees and the GLC had reached a deal to set the minimum wage at LL 675,000 without the transportation allowance. However, their agreement was dealt a blow when the cabinet approved Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ proposal of LL868,000 – a sum that includes a LL236,000 transportation allowance.

Shammas urged the prime minister to endorse the agreement with the GLC, saying that the Committees had also urged President Michel Suleiman to support it, which would consequently mean that the state backs the agreement.

“Such an agreement represents a social basis for the future of Lebanon and we hope that the situation in the country would return to normal in the upcoming weeks and with the state’s support,” he added.