Berri Frustrated at SCC Strike and Protests

Speaker Nabih Berri has expressed his frustration at the strike carried out by public sector employees and the call of teachers to boycott the official exams, As Safir daily reported on Saturday.

Berri revealed his disappointment to his visitors, saying he was quick to hand a copy of the wage hike draft-law to the Syndicate Coordination Committee when a ministerial-parliamentary committee amended it.

The speaker has called for a parliamentary session on Wednesday to discuss the draft-law.

But the SCC, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, stressed it will hold protests on Monday across Lebanon ahead of a “peaceful day of rage” on Wednesday.

The SCC, which is on strike since last Wednesday, has called on its supporters to participate en masse in a demonstration in Beirut that would coincide with the session.

The SCC says it will only accept a 121 percent wage hike as initially approved by ex-PM Najib Miqati's government in 2012.

But the committee reduced the total funding from LL2.8 trillion ($1.9 billion) to LL1.8 trillion ($1.2 billion).

The committee also proposed raising the Value Added Tax from 10 to 11 percent on certain services, and customs by five percent on some items.

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