As revealed by the interim Minister of Labor Mustafa Bayram, the approval of the national budget will influence a response in accordance with the demands of the workers, the most affected by the current collapse.

Bayram explained in an interview with The Voice of All Lebanon that the increases in wages and transportation do not put an end to the suffering of the people.

He asked to differentiate between the public and private sectors, as he stressed that the latter is more flexible and does not depend on State imports.

Bayram clarified that the index committee enabled by the ministry goes hand in hand with the price evolution process, but the collapse of the national currency is very large and “periodic adjustments must be made to avoid the closure of institutions and the dismissal of employees”.

He advocated stopping the strike and resolving the problems of the workers among the entire union on the way to winning the battle of public opinion to keep the state sector functioning.

Data from the United Nations show that the minimum monthly salary in Lebanon currently does not exceed 25 dollars, which results in a significant decrease in income and purchasing power. An International Labor Organization Labor Force Survey released in January this year showed that almost a third of the country’s workforce is unemployed, increasing from 11.4 percent from 2018-2019 to 29.6 in 2022.

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