Wage Hike Dispute Grows as Miqati Rejects a Revision of Cabinet Decision

Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas was on Friday drafting the decree of wage hikes approved by the cabinet earlier in the week despite opposition by the General Labor Confederation and the Economic Committees.

Nahhas told As Safir daily he was obliged in accordance with the law to prepare the decree as called for by the government although the ministers of the Change and Reform bloc rejected it.

The cabinet on Tuesday increased 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 those earning between LL1 million and LL1.8 million.

The ceiling set for those entitled to the wage hikes angered labor unions which also called for increases for workers earning more than LL1.8 million.

The salary boost also drew condemnation from the private sector which expressed fears that companies will have to lay off workers or shut down.

GLC chief Ghassan Ghosn told An Nahar newspaper that he urged Premier Najib Miqati on Thursday to revise the plan. But sources close to the prime minister said Miqati didn’t promise the GLC to resolve the issue.

They stressed that the wage boost will be implemented as approved by the cabinet. “There won’t be any revision.”

Nahhas also confirmed that the decree would be ready and referred to the cabinet during its next session.

But the private sector that includes the Economic Committees has fears that the implementation of the government decision will deal a blow to the Lebanese economy.

The large-scale condemnation led Speaker Nabih Berri to hint at the possibility of implementing a deal that he had brokered to increase by LL200,000 the salaries of workers earning between LL500,000 and LL1 million and LL300,000 for those earning more than LL1 million.

Berri told Miqati about his proposal during a telephone conversation on Thursday night, An Nahar said.

But the premier is not likely to approve any new mediation and suggestions. His sources stressed that a government decision would only be annulled by a new decision taken by the council of ministers, an unlikely move.