The Justice Palace in Beirut. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT —The Judicial Assistants’ Committees announced on Monday that they are suspending their strike movement, launched in mid-July, following aid funds granted to them by cabinet.
Here’s what we know:
• In a press release, the judicial assistants indicated that the decision to end their strike came after "the aid approved by the government for public sector employees” and that they will resume their work "normally," at least three days a week, starting Monday Aug. 1. The judicial assistants noted, however, that the aid funds did not satisfy "the list of all their demands” which were previously announced.
• Judicial assistants had been on strike since July 18, like other public employees, to protest against their deteriorating living conditions and dilapidated courthouses. They also have claimed previously that they have yet to receive their transport allowances for the months of April and May, as well as their overtime payments after working during the 2022 Parliamentary elections. In previous statements, judicial assistants have asked for a reassessment of their salaries, which are currently at the LL1,500-to-the-dollar rate, to assume the LL8,000 rate, as is already the case for judges.
• The latest aid payments granted to civil servants by the government are equivalent to the monthly salaries of to all public sector employees who work at least two days a week and to pensioners, applicable from 1 July, as well as a daily transport allowance of LL 95,000. In addition, an attendance allowance for the months of August and September was granted by the government to civil servants, on the condition that they would be present at least three days a week, during official office hours. This allowance ranges from LL150,000 to LL350,000 per day depending on the five categories of civil servants.