Committee Formed to Tackle State Council Reservations on Wage Hike
Cabinet decided on Thursday to form a committee, headed by Prime Minister Najib Miqati, to address the State Council’s reservations on the government’s draft plan to increase minimum wage, reported the daily An Nahar on Friday.
Information Minister Walid al-Daouq quoted him as saying after the session: “We will consider the council’s position because we are keen on reaching an agreement that respects the laws and meets the employees’ demands.”
“The government accepts the State Council’s decision and it will do all it can to reach a framework that can achieve justice,” he added.
The committee includes Miqati and Ministers Mohammed Safadi, Nicolas Nahhas, and Charbel Nahhas.
The head of the General Labor Confederation Ghassan Ghosn told the daily: “If Miqti respects the State Council’s stance, then the wage hike should encompass employees who earn more than LL 1,800,000.”
He told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Friday: “The ball is once again in the government’s court and it is responsible for rectifying its mistakes based on the State Council’s decision.”
“Should it decide to back down from the wage hike, then we will resume our strikes,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas told al-Mada radio that the State Council’s decision is binding to the government.
He also stated that an increase in minimum wage should not be linked to an increase in the cost of various products.
The State Council had rejected on Thursday the draft law proposed by the government to correct wages.
It said: “The revision of increasing minimum wage should take place at least once annually according to the law and an Arab agreement that was devised in 1983, which addressed wages.”
The General Labor Confederation has meanwhile agreed to the draft law, but demanded that its flaws be amended.
Economic committees have however rejected the law, saying that it will increase unemployment and create economic problems.
Last week, the committees described the step as “illegal” and urging business owners to abstain from implementing the resolution.
A cabinet decision to increase wages has led to a new crisis in Lebanon after it angered some labor unions for not meeting their expectations and drew strong criticism from business leaders over their fears that the government’s move would shatter the Lebanese economy.
They stressed, however, their willingness to cooperate “with all parties, particularly the syndicates and the labor unions, given that everyone is seeking to protect national economy and improve the workers’ living conditions.”
On October 12 the cabinet decided to increase the minimum wage to LL700,000 from LL500,000.
It also raised by LL200,000 the wages of workers earning less than LL1 million and by LL300,000 the wage of those earning between LL1 million and LL1.8 million.
In a session it held on October 13, the cabinet decided to go ahead with its decision and sign a decree compelling the public and private sectors to implement the controversial resolution.
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