REPORT: UCC exerts pressure on parliament, wages general strike -...

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Hundreds of teachers and public sector employees gathered on Tuesday outside Lebanon’s Central Bank in Hamra Street and marched towards the Riad al-Soleh Square to exert pressure on the parliament to pass the controversial dossier pertaining to the series of ranks and salaries.

During the protest, head of the private school teachers association Nehme Mahfoud stated that Lebanese officials proved that they are on good terms with the Economic Committees which are in turn corrupt, emphasizing that true reform may not be applied by imposing taxes at the expense of the people.

For his part, head of the Union Coordinating Committee Hanna Gharib stressed the necessity of funding the new wage scale as well as funding other projects pertaining to the full health coverage of citizens, considering that the report which will be issued by the parliamentary committee tasked with studying the series of ranks and salaries will be useless.

Gharib said the new wage scale should not come at the expense of the poor in Lebanon, adding that politicians failed to divide members of the UCC and sabotage their movement.

The UCC also handed the governor of Banque du Liban Riad Salameh a letter detailing its demands. Meanwhile, academic institutions alongside public and administrative bodies in the district of Akkar, Aley and the region of Metn held a strike in solidarity with the Union Coordinating Committee.

The UCC, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, had called for massive participation in the march in an attempt to exert pressure on the parliament to pass the new wage scale.

It 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 watch Layal Haddad's report, please click on the video above.

News Bulletin Reports

exerts

pressure

parliament,

wages

general

strike

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