Meager wages, scant paid leave, unfair dismissals: The state of labor rights in Lebanon

BEIRUT — On the patio of a popular Lebanese restaurant chain, Tony* is busy serving customers. The young man has a bandage on his arm and limps from table to table, with an apparently injured leg. The thirty-year-old doesn't dwell on details when asked why he isn't on sick leave: "I asked not to work today and it was refused," he says simply. No customer can ignore that the waiter is in pain; when one table needs moving, its occupants insist that they, not him, lift and reposition it. The situation raises questions about employers' apparent disrespect for the Labor Code and the lack of protection for employees like Tony, whether Lebanese or foreign. Many foreign workers are governed by the kafala system, a labor system specifically for non-Lebanese that does not provide for a minimum wage or a limit on working hours. Read more...