Man holding Lebanese lira and dollar bills. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP).
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s public sector employees sounded the alarm over growing wage disparities, after newly approved salaries granted what they called "exorbitant" monthly compensation to incoming executives and board members at several administrative regulatory bodies.On Monday, the Cabinet approved a flurry of new salaries for the heads and members of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority, the General Authority for Civil Aviation and the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), ranging from LL 626.5 million ($7,000) up to LL 805.5 million ($9,000) monthly. A similar decree was enacted on May 15 for the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), granting its president and four board members a combined monthly payroll totalling $36,000.The government has defended its approach by arguing that certain sectors,...
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s public sector employees sounded the alarm over growing wage disparities, after newly approved salaries granted what they called "exorbitant" monthly compensation to incoming executives and board members at several administrative regulatory bodies.On Monday, the Cabinet approved a flurry of new salaries for the heads and members of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority, the General Authority for Civil Aviation and the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), ranging from LL 626.5 million ($7,000) up to LL 805.5 million ($9,000) monthly. A similar decree was enacted on May 15 for the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), granting its president and four board members a combined monthly payroll totalling $36,000.The government has defended its approach by arguing that certain...