Labor to strike again

No deal on wage increase, GCLU schedules protest on December 27

The General Confederation of Labor Unions (GCLU) announced that it will go on a nationwide strike on December 27, protesting the wage increase scheme adopted by the cabinet last week.

“The (GCLU’s) Executive Board sees that the minimum wage raise is degrading to workers,” said Ghassan Ghosn, the president of the GCLU.

Ghosn called all labor sectors and unions across the country to declare their support to the planned strike. He said that GCLU will hold an extensive conference for all labor syndicates and unions on December 23.

The approved wage formula, which is yet to be issued through a Cabinet decree, raised the minimum wage to $400. It gave wages lower than $660 a 30 percent increase, providing it does not exceed $130, and wages above $660 million a 20 percent raise, which must not exceed $180. It also raised the annual education fees for each family to $1,000.

The adopted wage formula did not include any increase to the transportation allowance.

The Syndicate Coordination Committee, group of unions representing public and private school teachers, had earlier announced that it will go on with its protest on Thursday (December 15).