Carertaker Prime Minister Najb Mikati (r) receiving the President of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers, Bechara Asmar, at the Grand Serail on March 14, 2023. (Credit: Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT — On Tuesday, president of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers Bechara Asmar relayed a series of demands to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Among the demands was the increase of private and public sectors salaries. This came on the same day that the lira reached a record depreciation of LL100,000 to the dollar on the parallel market.
Such salary increases "had already been discussed when the dollar reached LBP 40,000. Today, it is close to 100,000 LBP, and the increases mentioned are no longer sufficient," said Asmar, according to the Twitter account of the Grand Serail.
The trade unionist therefore asked the caretaker Minister of Labor, Mustafa Bayram, to revive the ministerial committee in charge of studying the repercussions of the crisis, which had examined previous increases and to approve a new salary increase "in line with the current situation and which will be based on the fluctuations of the dollar rate against the pound."
"We are facing constant changes in the dollar rate," added Asmar, who denounced the lack of initiatives by officials to stabilize the exchange rate.
Asmar also discussed with Mikati the issue of calculating customs duties on imports (customs dollars), the rate of which tripled in late February from 15,000 to 45,000 Lebanese pounds for a greenback and which could "increase again and again."
Asmar also discussed the situation of the Lebanese University "whose future is at stake," and that of transport allowances for the military, which he demanded be doubled.
Faced with these demands, Mikati said they could be studied "at a meeting of the Council of Ministers next week," upon his return from a trip to Rome and Vatican City, where he will be received by Pope Francis.