Why did the Shura Council reject the wage draft decree?

The Shura Council headed by Shekri Sader rejected on Tuesday the recent wage-related draft decree.        

The council accounted for its decision as follows: “the rearrangement of funds was granted under the title ‘transportation allowance’ and its decree was issued in the absence of minimum wage and cost of living decrees. The rearrangement of funds and their inclusion under the title “the minimum wage and high cost of living” contravene article 68 of the social security law upon which the draft decree is based.    

Given that a sum of the money proposed to be either included as part of, or in addition to, wages (i.e., 236, 000 LBP) is indeed a daily transportation allowance.     

These transportation allowances have been granted in contravention of the law through successive decrees since 1995 in the absence of a fully activated public transportation system in Lebanon. Considering this sum of money as part of the wage, and not as a subsidy for transport, is tantamount to the amendment of laws related to the transportation allowance. Amendment of these laws can only be carried out by the competent authority which is the legislative body.”