Private School Teachers Threaten to Strike if No '6 Degrees' in Wage Hike

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The teachers of private schools on Tuesday threatened to carry out an open-ended strike starting Wednesday if the parliament approves a new wage scale that does not involve granting them the so-called six degrees wage hike.

“Give me one reason to deprive private school teachers of the six degrees in the new wage scale? Is it because of our corruption or our lack of productivity?” Nehme Mahfoud, head of the private school teachers syndicate, said at a press conference.

“The problem is with the Catholic schools but Bkirki is with justice and equality. Why don't they amend the wage scale to involve the private school teachers?” Mahfoud added, on the eve of a parliamentary session aimed at approving a number of stalled draft laws, including that of the new wage scale.

Addressing the MPs, Mahfoud stressed that “the private school teachers are productive.”

“Should the wage scale be approved without involving the private school teachers, you will bear the responsibility for creating an uproar in the beginning of the academic year,” he warned.

“We're only demanding equality and private schools represent 72% of Lebanon's schools,” he noted.

Revealing that a number of officials have told him that granting teachers their demands would lead to the bankruptcy of a number of schools, Mahfoud added: “How can you claim that the six degrees would force the closure of several private schools?”

He described the private schools sector in Lebanon as a profitable business.

“We'll stage a sit-in outside parliament tomorrow if they don't solve the problem tonight and if the new wage scale does not involve the six degrees wage hike,” Mahfoud cautioned.

He pointed out that “there are bigger problems in the country,” citing Lebanon's security and political difficulties and advising lawmakers not to create a new dilemma.

“You should ensure equality in the wage scale,” Mahfoud urged.

He also noted that the private school teachers are part of the Syndicate Coordination Committee, which is a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees.

“The SCC must stand by us because the (MPs') likely motive is undermining the unity of the SCC,” Mahfoud charged.

The so-called six degrees refer to granting teachers a salary increase every two years with a retroactive effect.

Later on Tuesday, a meeting was held in Bkirki between Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and Catholic Schools Secretary-General Father Butros Azar, LBCI television reported.

It said the private school teachers syndicate “will be informed of the outcome.”

But it later reported that the meeting failed to meet the teachers' demands, noting that the talks were attended by Patriarchal Vicar General Bishop Samir Mazloum, Father Azar and delegations from the general secretariat of Catholic schools and the teachers syndicate.

The salary hike has been at the center of controversy since it was approved by the government of ex-Prime Minister Najib Miqati in 2012. Several parliamentary blocs had refused to approve the draft-law over fears that it would have devastating effects on the economy.

But recent meetings held between several blocs and Speaker Nabih Berri led to a deal on the scale.

The most recent of these meetings took place between the speaker and head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora.

The bloc had previously voiced its reservations over the wage scale draft-law.

Parliament is scheduled to convene on Wednesday in order to tackle the issue and other draft-laws.

Y.R.

Comments 1
Default-user-icon HDH (Guest) 30 September 2014, 23:28

Terrorist most probably u do not hold the lebanese nationality.