Nahhas Says New Salaries Scale 'Radically' Affects Economy

Economy and Trade Minister Nicolas Nahhas said on Tuesday that the government’s approval of the new wages scale for public teachers isn’t “easy.”

“I understand the warnings issued by the Syndicate Coordination Committee but the matter isn’t easy as it will radically affect the economy of Lebanon,” Nahhas told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).

Head of the private school teachers association Nehme Mahfoud threatened earlier this month to resume a strike if the cabinet failed to implement an agreement on the new salaries scale for the public sector.

He criticized the government’s new wage scale proposal, saying it contains three major gaps.

“We are not seeking popularity, we can bear the strong political rhetoric but we will not shoulder the negative impact the matter will have on the economy if we took an unbalanced decision,” Nahhas pointed out.

Earlier this month, the Syndicate Coordination Committee resumed the correction of the official exams for grades 12 and 9 in light of the cabinet’s approval to issue the new salaries scale for the public sector by the end of August.

Media reports said that the cabinet’s new proposal wouldn’t grant the secondary school teachers 60 percent of their rights that the SCC and the cabinet agreed on.

The government argues that any new increase on wages would affect the state’s treasury, saying it is searching for new resources to finance the boost in salaries.

The cabinet agreed to increase the salaries of the teachers after a wage raise was granted to the private sector in January.