SCC Protests at Beirut Airport, Civil Aviation Threatens to Join Strike

Civil Aviation authority announced on Friday that it will join the Syndicate Coordination Committee's open-ended strike if the cabinet failed to refer the new wage scale for public employees to the parliament in its session on March 21.

“Employees at (Beirut's Rafik Hariri International) airport will suspend work if the new scale wasn't referred by the cabinet on March 21,” Imad al-Meqdad, a spokesman representing the civil aviation employees, said.

The cabinet will hold a session next week to end the dispute over the matter despite the objection of the Economic Committees that argue that the approval of the scale will harm Lebanon's economy.

An SCC official, Mahmoud Haidar called on public sector employees to participate in the strike, calling on the government to swiftly resolve the matter.

The SCC will hold a protest on Saturday near the Finance Ministry revenues building in Beshara al-Khoury.

The sit-in was held near the arrival area at the airport.

The SCC has announced an open-ended strike four weeks ago over its demand that the government refers the public sector wage raise - approved last year - to parliament.

The SCC has been holding sit-ins and demonstrations near state institutions almost on a daily basis.

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.