The union of government hospital employees in Lebanon called on Tuesday for a salary increase and reforms to the sector, "in accordance with the cost of living," including a rise in the minimum wage to cope with inflation, social assistance, and an increase in transportation allowances, according to a statement.

The employees also demand that the authorities address unpaid salaries and implement a salary payment system that is independent of bureaucratic issues between the Ministries of Health and Finance.

"We call for the implementation of immediate measures and an equitable increase of the minimum wage that aligns with the cost of living," the statement said. "The current minimum wage no longer meets the basic needs for a decent life, and the salaries and benefits in the public sector, particularly in public hospitals, are no longer sufficient to cover transportation costs or basic life needs."

"The persistent disregard for the rights of public hospital workers threatens the collapse of the public health sector ... We ask the relevant authorities to respond quickly to our legitimate demands to avoid any escalation we might undertake to defend the employee's dignity and right to a decent life," the statement continued.

Since the onset of the economic crisis in 2019 and the significant depreciation of the Lebanese pound, the public sector has been in crisis, and civil servants have staged several strikes demanding salary increases. The situation worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic, the explosion at the Beirut Port in August 2020, and a wave of resignations in various sectors as salaries lost their value. The war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023/2024 affected many government hospitals.