Trade Union demonstrates, Jreissati responds

The Trade Union Coordinating Body organized a demonstration on Wednesday.

The demonstrators marched at 11 am from the Ministry of Education to the Grand Serail to demand a fast endorsement of the ranks and salaries scale law.

For his part, the President of the Trade Union Coordinating Body Hanna Gharib said that the prolongation of the endorsement is not justified, stressing that the cabinet is being pressured by the economic bodies not to endorse the law.

The Head of the Private Schools Teachers Association Nehme Mahfoud urged the cabinet to refer the ranks and salaries scale law to parliament.

“If the law will not be ratified, we will call for an open strike and escalatory measures will be taken,” he warned.

President of the Public Schools Teachers Association Mahmoud Ayoub stressed that the scale is “the symbol of their freedom”.

For his part, Labor Minister Salim Jreissati held apress conference in response to the trade union strike.

"We are looking into the documented proposals sent forth by the union coordinating body", Jreissati said.

Minister Jreissati mentioned that the demands were confined to the high cost of living and pointed out that the government was looking into increasing wages the public sector as a whole.

Jreissati added that the scale was passed by cabinet, and stressed that the "high tone used by the demonstrators was not suitable."

“We have now found up to 85% of the funding sources pertaining to the pay scale”, Jreissati added.

The Minister also pointed out that social stability is a red line that must not be crossed, and that escalatory actions will not yield any results.

"The government paid for the "high cost of living" as of 1/2/2012, and the government is serious about passing the ranks and salaries issue", Jreissati concluded.