Shura Council Rejects Nahhas’ Proposal on Wages Paving Way for 4th Cabinet Decision

The Shura Council rejected on Tuesday the last cabinet decision on the wage hike after holding a meeting with Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas, who had proposed the salary boost.

The meeting was held between Nahhas and members of the Council, including its head Judge Shukri Sader.

After the talks, Sader told Voice of Lebanon radio station (93.3) that the two parties discussed ways to achieve a “sound and legal formula” on the wage boost.

A previous meeting was held between the two sides last week during which the minister asked the Council to postpone its decision until after the holidays.

Informed sources had already told An Nahar daily that the Council will reject the current plan after it was approved by the majority of cabinet members last month.

The proposal calls for raising the minimum wage to LL868,000 – a sum that includes a LL236,000 transportation allowance. It also gives an 18 percent raise for employees earning less than LL1.5 million and a 10 percent increase for salaries between LL1.5 million and LL2.5 million.

The sources had expected the Shura Council to rule against several articles in the proposal mainly that of including the transportation allowance in the basic salary.

They said that if it disapproves the wage hike, then a previous agreement reached between the Economic Committees and the General Labor Confederation, which had failed to gain enough support, would be approved under a fourth salary increase plan.

Under the deal, the minimum wage would increase to LL675,000 – a sum that excludes the transportation allowance.

Ministerial sources also told As Safir newspaper that the different parties in the cabinet would have no choice but to stick to the deal reached between the two parties under the sponsorship of Premier Najib Miqati.

They said that several companies already began implementing the agreement.

The cabinet is scheduled to convene on Wednesday. Although the wage boost is not on its agenda, the latest Shura Council decision would force it to issue a fourth wage hike plan, after three other proposals, including that of Nahhas, had failed to be endorsed.