Civil Defense Volunteers Stage Sit-in, Demand Full-Employment

Civil Defense volunteers warned on Monday that they will escalate measures if a decision to fully-employ them was not approved during a cabinet session this week.

“If a decision on our full-employment was not approved on Wednesday, we are going to take some surprising measures,” the volunteers said in a press conference they held in Martyrs Square.

The volunteers have been holding a sit-in the Downtown Beirut since Saturday.

“The sit-in will continue until our cause is approved,” they stressed declaring an open strike until their demands are met.

“We have long waited for a solution to our cause. We will not block roads or set tires on fire, but we are going to take our rights,” they stated.

In 2014, a meeting at the Interior Ministry led to consensus over the full-employment of Civil Defense volunteers after several protests were held in different areas across the country.

The volunteers demanded that parliament pass a law on the affairs of the Directorate General of Civil Defense, which would turn them into full-time employees after long years of service during which many of their colleagues were killed while performing rescue operations.

A cabinet session is said to be held this week to tackle a trash management crisis.

D.A.

M.T.

Photo source: LBCI