Miqati on SCC Strike: We Will Not Jeopardize Stability of our Monetary System
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Thursday that the Syndicate Coordination Committee has the right to stage a strike calling for their demands to be met over the new wages scale.
He noted however during a press conference from the Grand Serail: “We will not jeopardize the stability of our monetary system.”
“The new wages scale was approved by cabinet. We are not stalling in this matter,” he stressed.
“The Syndicate Coordination Committee's request that the salary hike be made in one phase is not possible due to the threat of inflation,” added the premier.
“The government must comprehensively examine the new wages scale. The economic and monetary impact of the scale must be studied,” Miqati said before reporters.
He explained that cabinet is trying to find the proper sources of funding for the scale.
“We are trying to meet the requirement through taxes and cabinet estimated that some LL2,000 billion can be made through taxes,” he said.
“We can only make the payments in installments. We must obtain the resources before referring the file to parliament,” he continued.
“Toppling the government will not lead to the approval of the wages scale,” he stressed.
“We are in need of major tax reform,” Miqati noted.
The SCC held a strike on Thursday after crunch talks at the cabinet on Wednesday failed to reach consensus over finding the appropriate resources for funding the new wages scale for public employees.
Head of Public Secondary School Education Teachers Association Hanna Gharib told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5): “We don't trust the government anymore and don't believe it.”
He reiterated the SCC's threats to “paralyze the public administration and educational sector.”
On Wednesday, the cabinet convened at the Baabda Palace and failed once again to reach a final agreement on the sources of funding for the new wages scale adopted in early September, postponing discussions to an October 31 session.
Last week, the SCC, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, held a sit-in near the Grand Serail, threatening to “paralyze” the public sector if the cabinet delayed further referring the draft law to the parliament.
In September, the cabinet approved the new salaries scale for public employees, ending a long dispute that has prompted the SCC to hold several sit-ins and strikes.
The wages increase will be retroactive from July 1, 2012, but the salary adjustments would be paid in installments over a period of five years, although funding resources to cover the costs are still not clear.
18 October 2012, 16:16
10
Teachers should stay put. There are 10,000 teachers giving courses and 30,000 taking salary and NOT WORKING. (Courtesy of Nabih Berri stuffing jama3to everywhere).
These 10,000 teachers get free schooling. Work 5 hour day. And take 3 months off in the summer. But yet they want a raise.
I say replace the 40,000 teachers with 4,000 good teachers for our children, give them 48 hours week and give them a good salary. This is teh solution. As for the rest, try to get them early retirement or put them somewhere else where teh tax payer is not concerned.
18 October 2012, 17:34
00
you obviously know nothing about teachers....wish you haad their salaries and see if you can raise a family with it! poor ignorants!
you find it normal that their salaries haven t raised in 16 years?
so you d better talk about what you know otherwise keep your stupidities for yourselves!
18 October 2012, 18:49
10
peace. If u actually read my post, you would see that I am advocating: a raise for those teachers actually working, and sacking those who are at home getting a paycheck. A revamp of the school systems to have 4000 efficient motivated well paid teachers instead of 40000, most sitting at home and benefiting from the taxes of those who are actually working.
I am for high salaries for public sector employees- just reduce their numbers and hire high skilled ones. But then again you are probably in the public sector and understand zilch about the laws of organizational behaviour, so whatever...
18 October 2012, 18:55
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60% of the schools are private in lebanon. they raise each year their fees but the teachers are on the paid according to public scales and the gvt never raised it in 16 years. do you find it normal? it is the gvt to find a solution not the teachers to shut up!
the gvt need to reform every public sector to stop the waste of money but they take advantage of it! it is not for the workers to pay for the innefficiency of the gvt! so they have every right to demonstrate!!!
i don t know where you found your figures but they seem exaggerated!
18 October 2012, 17:37
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the gvt can find all the money they need if they wanted to! they just need to reform the administrations, stop the privileges of MPs, of the army, police...and they ll find millions!
