Burning tires block a road in downtown Beirut during a protest by army retirees on Sept. 10, 2024. Photo provided by our correspondent Michel Hallak.
The Lebanese Civil Servants' Union escalated its movement against the government on Friday, following a chain of protests that began with the review of the 2025 draft budget. This movement is particularly led by retired military personnel, who succeeded in blocking a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, forcing it to convene discreetly the following day.
In a statement, the union expressed its "support" for the protest by retired armed forces members "because today’s employees are tomorrow’s retirees." They called on the caretaker Cabinet to "find solutions for the public sector as a whole" and demanded a law for salary adjustments.
The union specifically requested a "doubling of social assistance" allocated in the 2025 draft budget reserves, equitable distribution of aid among public sector employees, and an increase in transportation allowances and family benefits.
The civil servants warned of a potential "paralysis" of the public sector if their demands were not met and declared they were ready to move "from warning to confrontation." They criticized the government's inability to improve the living conditions of public employees.
On Wednesday, during its discreetly held meeting, the Cabinet began reviewing the 2025 budget. A day earlier, following protests by military retirees, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati had noted that his government had prepared a plan to adjust the salaries of the entire public sector.