In light of increasing living pressures and the deteriorating purchasing power of citizens, attention is turning to the issue of wages in both the public and private sectors, with anticipation for the outcome of ongoing negotiations between the concerned parties.
In this context, the head of the General Labor Union, Bechara Al-Asmar, sheds light on the reality of these negotiations and reveals the steps that may be taken if the situation remains as it is.
In a statement to , Al-Asmar believes that “so far, there are no wage increases in the private sector, and the negotiations have not led to tangible results yet. The same applies to the public sector, with a fundamental difference represented in the President’s announcement of the formation of a committee, and he has tasked me with following up on this file within a committee that includes representatives from various categories of workers in the public sector, so that the results of its work are submitted to His Excellency, and a subsequent meeting is held to present the committee’s report.”
Regarding the private sector, Al-Asmar explains that “meetings are still ongoing, and the Minister of Labor is fulfilling his duties in this context, but these meetings have not achieved actual results so far, due to the intransigence of employers who justify their position by the poor economic situation and the security and economic conditions that the country is going through. They also point out that a large number of institutions, especially outside Beirut and in various Lebanese regions, are unable to bear additional burdens in the current circumstances.”
He points out that “the issues of retirees and contractors are among the main files on the table, in addition to the demands related to official steps,” expressing his hope that “these efforts will lead to positive solutions, otherwise we will be, in one way or another, forced to take similar actions to those that were carried out previously, in order to give justice to retirees in the public administrative sector, as was the case with the military.”
Al-Asmar warns against reaching a general strike, stressing that the situation remains the same, and pointing out that “during the past two days, he temporarily postponed the strike of some sectors, in order to allow the opportunity to follow up on the results of the ongoing meetings, and to wait for the outcome of the contacts with His Excellency the President, which are supposed to take place as soon as possible.”
