SCC Stages Nationwide Strike to Protest Delay in New Wages Hike
The Syndicate Coordination Committee, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, held a nationwide strike on Thursday to protest the cabinet’s delay in approving the new wages scale.
“The SCC is stronger than you deem,” Head of Association of Public Secondary School Education Teachers Hanna Gharib said during a sit-in held at the premises of the Ministry of Education in Beirut’s UNESCO area, warning that if the cabinet failed to approve the new salaries hike the start of the academic year will be delayed.
He urged the ministerial committee members tasked with studying the new scale for the public sector to push the cabinet’s decision forward.
Gharib refused a proposal to divide the wages increase, pointing out that Thursday’s cabinet session at the Baabda Palace is a test for its credibility.
“Reneging on the deal with the SCC will prompt all the Lebanese people to hold protests,” he said.
Gharib threatened to announce an open-ended strike if the new wages scale wasn’t approved as a whole package.
“We will not forget those who are voting against our rights, they will pay a heavy price by the employees who will vote against them in the upcoming parliamentary elections,” he stated.
Public employees at the Serail of Sidon, Amyoun and Zahle and several other government institutions joined the SCC strike.
The cabinet failed during its session at the Grand Serail on Wednesday to approve the new salaries scale over sharp divisions between its members over the percentage of the hike and the state treasury revenue as it will have more than $1billion and 200 million to cover.
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