REPORT: UCC announces general strike on Wednesday

The Union Coordinating Committee (UCC) has announced that a general strike involving all public sector institutions and private schools will be held on Wednesday.        

The UCC said the movement comes after the parliament failed to endorse the series of ranks and salaries, and vowed to remain in the streets until they get their demands.        

Earlier, the UCC held a sit-in in Beirut's Riad El-Soleh Square to exert pressure on Parliament to pass the pay scale.

In this regard, Head of the UCC Hanna Gharib described the failure to pass the pay scale as “the liquidation of the public sector,” pointing out that the parliament would be opening a battle front with the public sector if it decides to base the wage scale payment on several installments.

For his part, head of the Private Schools Teachers Association Nehme Mahfoud said Education Minister Elias Bou Saab will have to bare a huge responsibility if parliament fails to meet the rights of teachers.

Earlier, a delegation from the UCC headed to parliament, and handed over to deputies a memorandum that has the UCC’s remarks on the draft law pertaining to the series of ranks and salaries.

The Union Coordinating Committee resumed its movements a couple of weeks ago calling on the authorities to pass the pay scale, which stipulates a wage hike.

The decision to revive movements came as a result of the failure of the Joint Parliamentary Committees to resolve the dispute on the Value Added Tax in a proposal aimed at securing the funds for the salary scale that was approved by former Prime Minister Najib Mikati's cabinet.

Former PM Mikati's cabinet endorsed the new salary scale for public employees in 2012, ending a long dispute that had triggered several sit-ins and strikes held by the UCC.

President Michel Sleiman signed the decree mid-June 2013 and it was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committees for further examination, however the law was never passed to parliament.


To watch Raneem Bou Khzam's report, please click on the VIDEO above