1. Home
2. Economy
3. Minimum Wage: The Debate Heats Up Again

As regional tensions momentarily subside, Lebanese households refocus on their most urgent issue: wages. The minimum wage debate has resurfaced under intense social pressure, yet concrete progress remains elusive. The sudden silence from the labor minister adds to the growing uncertainty.

Notably, the latest minimum wage increase did not originate from the designated ministry or the Mikati government. Instead, Mohammad Karaki, the Director-General of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), unilaterally announced the hike. Karaki also annouced through the media that NSSF inspectors would be dispatched to companies paying salaries below twenty million Lebanese pounds, a figure later revised to eighteen million by the then labor minister, highlighting the chaotic legal backdrop. 

Labor Minister Steps In Amid Wage Clash
On May 7, the Price Index Committee – comprising the labor minister, employer representatives and the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (CGTL) – agreed to raise the minimum wage to 28 million Lebanese pounds. The deal also included increasing employer-paid school allowances by 2.5 times and doubling family benefits provided by the NSSF.

However, the meeting quickly escalated into conflict. CGTL President Bechara Asmar clashed sharply with an employer representative who contested the raise, arguing it should apply solely to minimum wages and warning against government interference in private sector pay scales.

Caught between conflicting pressures, the labor minister withdrew temporarily, submitting the proposal first to the Council of Ministers, then to the legal department of the Ministry of Justice for review. Since then, no updates have emerged, leaving the issue stalled.

Public Sector Workers in Crisis

Civil servants face a deepening social crisis, as their salaries have not been adjusted since Lebanon’s economic collapse. With the Lebanese pound losing over 98% of its value, the official minimum wage for public employees remains fixed at 678,000 pounds (roughly seven dollars), an amount far from sufficient to meet soaring living costs.

In response, the government occasionally issues small, temporary aid payments. These irregular measures are unrecorded by the NSSF and do not count toward severance or end-of-service benefits, further fueling dissatisfaction and a sense of abandonment among public workers.

CGTL Denounces Salary Disparities
While senior government officials continue to insist that the Treasury is too empty to fund a new salary scale for civil servants, the CGTL didn’t hesitate to respond.

 Asmar voiced outrage over the high salaries of members of regulatory authorities, whose monthly earnings range from $1,500 to $8,000. This glaring disparity fuels social anger and shines a harsh light on the state’s priorities.