SCC Rallies en Masse, Pledges a General Strike if Demands Not Met

The Syndicate Coordination Committee urged on Wednesday President Michel Suleiman to call for an extraordinary cabinet session, vowing to stage a general strike if its demands weren't met by the end of the week.

“Our demonstration today is the beginning of the starved people uprising,” head of Public Secondary School Education Teachers Association Hanna Gharib told protesters.

Gharib pointed out that the uprising day in Lebanon will be “outstanding.”

“Get ready for a general strike if the new wage scale wasn't referred by the end of the week,” he said, noting that the retirement system is a “red line.”

He lashed out at Prime Minsiter Najib Miqati, stressing that the endeavors carried out by the SCC will remain peaceful and independent.

“The salary adjustments will not be paid in installments,” Gharib added.

The SCC kicked off at 11:00 a.m. a demonstration from Barbir Square towards the Grand Serail.

Angry protesters held banners that read “we will not back down until the new salary scale is referred to the parliament without any delay.”

Another protester held a banner saying: “Fund the new salary scale by ending corruption...”

A cabinet session set to be held at the Grand Serail at 3:00 p.m. will not tackle the matter, which prompted the SCC to escalate it rhetoric.

The government's wages increase will be retroactive from July 1, 2012, but the salary adjustments would be paid in installments over a period of five years.

The SCC demands that the wages be made in one full installment and that the government approve the format that was agreed upon with the committee.

Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil criticized the government via twitter saying: “It's unacceptable for the cabinet's agenda not to include the SCC demands. We will set an extraordinary session to resolve the matter soon.”

For his part, head of the private school teachers association Nehme Mahfoud urged president Suleiman to call for an extraordinary session if the cabinet didn't discuss the issue from outside the cabinet's agenda on Wednesday.

He vowed to remain in streets until the cabinet refers the new wage scale to the parliament.

The cabinet has been stalling in finding sources to fund the scale that was approved last year, leading to growing differences with the SCC, which has been accusing it of negligence.

However, the government argues that it is delaying the decision on the funding in an attempt to thoroughly discuss plans to boost the treasury's revenue to cover the expenses of the salaries boost.

The state treasury will have more than $1.2 billion to cover over the presence of 180,000 public sector employees including military personnel.

On day nine of the SCC strike, public schools and several private schools closed their doors as media reports said that Trials at the Justice Palace were halted after employees suspended work in solidarity.

The parents' committees in private schools announced Tuesday night that they will stop paying educational fees in institutions where professors are boycotting classes.

The SCC, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, kicked off last week an open-ended strike to protest the government’s procrastination.

It has been staging since then protests near ministries and escalating its measures by forming “protest committees” to halt the work at public institutions, vowing not to back down.