Public sector strike across Baabda, Zahle and Saida sees varying turnout

BEIRUT — The Public Sector Employees Association’s strike — protesting deteriorating living and economic conditions — saw varying levels of participation across the country, including in Baabda, Zahle and Saida on Thursday.

While some employees fully observed the strike, others attended their offices solely to address urgent matters, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported on Thursday. The plan to strike was announced on Monday.

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The Public Sector Associations (retired military and civil employees) also held a press conference at the al-Fandakiya building in Dekwaneh, demanding salary and pension adjustments and warning of further escalation if their grievances are ignored, NNA added.

Antoine Jebran, former head of the Employees’ Administration, said salaries and pensions have lost nearly 80 percent of their value since 2019, while family allowances have dwindled to less than $3 a month for a spouse and five children.

He denounced the recent increase in retirement deductions from 6 percent to 8 percent and urged authorities to reinstate the previous rate. Jebran also called for the long-delayed creation of an independent pension fund, mandated more than 40 years ago, to safeguard employees’ retirement rights.

'Urgent solutions' demanded

The association urged the government to take urgent measures, including increasing salaries and pensions to at least 50 percent of their 2019 value, paying retirees their full financial entitlements since 2019, improving medical and social insurance coverage, adjusting family allowances to match inflation, reversing the deduction hike and activating the independent pension fund.

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In Saida, most government offices observed the strike except for the finance, industry and labor departments. Protesters warned of an open-ended strike if their demands continue to be ignored.

In Baabda, employees reported to their offices but suspended all transactions, posting strike notices at entrances.

Civil servants in Hermel and Zahle also joined the strike, limiting work to urgent services.

In July and early August, civil servants went on strike after the government approved pay raises for senior officials — a move many unions denounced as “contemptuous,” as regular employees’ salaries remain far below their pre-crisis levels following the collapse of the Lebanese lira.

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Public sector pay remains one of the key challenges facing Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government. While salaries have not kept pace with inflation, critics argue that the civil service remains overstaffed, inefficient and costly.

Before the economic crisis, public sector wages accounted for roughly one-third of the state budget, or about $15 billion. The total number of civil servants, including members of the armed forces, is estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000.