Cabinet Refers New Wage Scale to Parliament as SCC Announces Strike Suspension

The cabinet referred on Thursday the new wage scale to the parliament for vote after weeks of nation-wide demonstrations staged by the Syndicate Coordination Committee to protest the council of ministers’ procrastination.

Soon after Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour broke the news to reporters following the cabinet’s eight-hours long session, the SCC announced that it has suspended its open-ended strike, while it criticized the taxes’ increase.

“The cabinet agreed to refer the new wage scale to the parliament,” Abou Faour told reporters, noting the AMAL Movement and Hizbullah ministers have expressed reservation over the 10% decrease that has affected it.

The SA minister listed the reformist articles related to the financing of the new wage scale and which include restricting weekly working hours to 35, with a 45 hours limit, setting the judicial holiday during the month of August, and gradually decreasing the teaching hours of professors as of age 58, amongst other amendments.

OTV had said earlier on Thursday: “The new wage scale will be referred to parliament as part of a package that includes increasing working hours and making Saturday and Sunday as non-working days”.

“The cabinet has also decided to extend the working hours of public sector employees to 4:00 pm and cut the judicial holiday to a month-and-a-half,” it detailed.

President Michel Suleiman expressed during the session that the most important gift on Mother's Day would be approving the new wage scale, holding the parliamentary elections and issuing a state budget.

“Mothers need to be assured over the future of their children,” he explained.

The cabinet convened in Baabda Palace on Thursday afternoon, amid nation-wide strikes staged by the Syndicate Coordination Committee.

"The new wage scale will be referred to the parliament for vote for political reasons,” Financial Minister Mohammed Safadi said prior to the meeting, remarking that this, however, “will be economically devastating for the country”.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Hassan Diab warned: “The wage scale must be approved, or else the official exams will not take place”.

The SCC staged a nation wide protest on Thursday to press the cabinet to refer the new wage scale to the parliament, considering that its “civilized” open-ended strike has honored Lebanon.

Demonstrators held banners demanding the referral of the wage scale amid heavy security deployment.

The cabinet had approved the wage scale last year but has been stalling in finding sources to fund it, leading to growing differences with the SCC, which has been accusing it of negligence.

However, the government argued 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.

The state treasury will have more than $1.2 billion to cover over the presence of 180,000 public sector employees including military personnel.

The ministers were set to discuss many contentious topics on the Lebanese scene, among them the formation of a special committee to oversee the elections and the extension of several offices' terms in the public service.

“Vacuum must be avoided in the Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi's position,” Abou Faour said, adding that he has suggested appointing him back to pursue his current role.

Meanwhile, no agreement has been reached concerning the special electoral committee and the cabinet is set to meet again on Friday afternoon to tackle electoral issues.

Agriculture Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan stressed before the session that he would not take part in a vote on forming a committee to oversee the electoral process.

Whereas Environment Minister Nazem al-Khoury said he will not withdraw from the session if the issue was suggested for vote.

March 8 rejects the formation of the authority for fears that it would lead to holding the polls based on the 1960 law, which it opposes.

But President Suleiman argues that the body should be established in line with the constitutional deadline given that rival parties have so far failed to agree on a new electoral draft-law.

Lebanon's rival leaders have so far failed to agree on a new vote law although the interior ministry has set the elections for June 9 and opened the door for the announcement of candidacies.