Public employees continue strike while awaiting 2026 budget

BEIRUT — The Association of Public Administration Employees announced Monday "the continuation of the open-ended strike and a full escalation, without any retreat or compromise," on the eve of a Cabinet meeting expected Tuesday that will focus on discussion of the 2026 budget.

This strike, launched last Tuesday, is expected to include "a massive and daily presence in the street during the discussion and adoption of the budget," according to a statement relayed by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Public employees are demanding salaries amounting to 50 percent of what they earned in 2019, as well as a 10 percent increase every six months.

The 2019 economic crisis led to a sharp devaluation of the Lebanese lira and the erosion of public sector wages, which are paid exclusively in local currency.

Public sector compensation remains one of the most pressing challenges in Lebanon. Salaries have fallen far behind inflation, while the civil service is criticized for its size, inefficiency, and cost.

Before the economic collapse, wages accounted for about a third of the state budget — roughly $15 billion — for a workforce estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000 employees, including the armed forces.