Nahhas under Pressure to Approve Transportation Allowance
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
No progress will be achieved in resolving the government crisis until Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas approves the transportation allowance that is part of the government wage hike, Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s circles informed As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Saturday.
They added that the minister is obligated to publish the decree after the cabinet approved it even if the decision contradicts his views.
The minister is obliged to commit to the cabinet agreement, they stressed.
Nahhas had deemed as illegal the transportation allowance proposed by the government, revealing that he had prepared a new draft law on the matter which he had referred to the concerned sides, reported As Safir.
“If my position is not to the liking of some ministers, then all they have to do is acquire over 20 ministers to force me to resign,” he added.
The government had agreed to set the minimum wage at LL675,000 – a sum that excludes the transportation allowance, but Nahhas insists on setting the minimum wage at LL800,000 including the allowance.
Meanwhile, President Michel Suleiman’s visitors reported him as saying that “government’s proper functioning can be restored once Nahhas signs the wage hike decree.”
“Measures will be taken against him if he maintains this position,” warned the president.
On February 1, Miqati had suspended cabinet sessions over an ongoing dispute over the issue of administrative appointments.
The suspension was prompted when Free Patriotic Movement ministers walked out from Wednesday’s session.
“The move is meant to push everyone to act responsibly and use their energy positively, towards the smooth run of state affairs not the opposite,” the prime minister said.
A dispute between President Michel Suleiman and FPM leader MP Michel Aoun over shares allotted to Christians has prevented consensus over administrative appointments, leaving several high-ranking posts vacant.
11 February 2012, 13:21
00
Nahas is always right. welli mesh 3ejbo yrou7 yebkeh 3end emmo
11 February 2012, 17:00
11
It is absolutely scandalous that mikati and sleiman demand for an illegal law to be signed. The constitutional council already statuated that the transportation allowance law was illegal.the representants of business owners also had requestedfrom the constitutional council to annul the allowance they ard now requesting. laws have been established to protect the people in Lebanon, and the president who is the protector of the constituion and laws is requesting from a minister to dign an unconstitutional law. In all countries the concept of wage is protected by law and includes all payments made by employers to employees. Employees should receive their pensions based on this wage. In our country we have no respect for the worker and don't understand the concept of wage and pension. we beleive in enslaving workers until they become too old to work and then enslave their children
11 February 2012, 19:07
01
"the minimum wage at LL800,000 including the allowance."
this is not logic!! the transportation allowance is an allowance not a salary! so of course it has to be separated from the salary. all that to pretend that the minimum wage has increased!
you have to increase both salaries and allowances.
11 February 2012, 19:27
00
Peace,'in no place in the world they have a transportafion allowance. This was invented in Lebanon to avoid paying more to employees and reduce contributions to social security. The concept of wage is sacred and the parliament (like in all countries) only gives the government power to set the minimum wage, not allowances
11 February 2012, 20:50
01
i regret but in france you also have a transport allowance! in paris the employer pays half the transport costs to the employees :)
and the fact of wanting to include allowance in the wage is just to do what you said: to avoid paying more as it is a fake increase of the salary which has to be set apart from any allowances given.
11 February 2012, 22:32
00
Yes indeed I stand corrected. the difference between France and Lebanon is that the law was not issued to avoid raising salaries like what happened in 1995.
in addition 50% of lebanese companies do not pay the transportation allowance.
With this being said, I am not sure I got your second point.
11 February 2012, 22:49
00
i mean if the minister wants the minimum wage to be 800 000 it should not include the transport allowance which is not to be considered part of the salary. it then should be 800 000 plus a transport allowance!
12 February 2012, 09:53
00
Is there a difference between this moron and a jackass? Maybe... the jackass is still useful while this idiot is not...
