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For the past few days, employees from various ministries have been alternating in announcing strikes to protest discrimination among civil servants. While some are entitled to or expected to receive special allowances, others are not. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called for a freeze on the allocation of these funds. What is it all about? And what are the consequences?
On Wednesday and Thursday, employees from multiple ministries—of Information, Agriculture, Telecommunications, Tourism, Labor and Economy—alternately declared a complete work stoppage while denouncing inequalities in salary increases and the allocation of allowances within the public sector.
They are specifically protesting against being excluded from the allowances that the government has chosen to grant to certain categories of civil servants. They feel aggrieved upon discovering that other departments have benefited from financial rewards approved by the Council of Ministers.
They are urging the government, scheduled to convene on Friday, to adopt a policy for the revaluation of salaries and end-of-service benefits “that is fair and ensures that civil servants can lead dignified lives.”
Freeze of Advantages
In the midst of this escalation, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called upon Finance Minister Youssef Khalil on Thursday to freeze advantages and salary increases granted to certain civil servants until the matter is deliberated by the Council of Ministers on Friday. The meeting is scheduled for 3:30 PM at the Grand Serail.
In response to the announcement, and as a form of protest, all Ministry of Finance employees benefiting from these advantages started a strike.
The whole thing is bizarre. On what grounds were advantages granted to one group of civil servants and not the other? Some officials have implied that it boiled down to clientelism, which This Is Beirut couldn’t confirm. The Minister of Finance was unreachable.
The benefits and salary increases were reportedly granted to employees of the Grand Serail, the Presidential Palace, the Court of Audit, the Central Inspection and certain ministries such as the Ministry of Finance, while employees of other administrations were left out.
The reason given for granting these increases is to “motivate these civil servants to perform their tasks.” However, as per the same sources, “Others do carry out their tasks as well.”
Where would the funding come from to finance these increases, given that the state, still resistant to essential reforms for public finance consolidation, asserts that it lacks the necessary funds to afford pay rise for civil servants?
According to the rumor, following Lebanon’s acquisition of a $34 million loan from the World Bank for the development of public service budget management, it was decided to distribute this amount among 500 public sector employees, equating to $65,000 per employee. However, the Ministry of Finance’s press office promptly denied this information on Monday.
The fact is that no one has been able to confirm the exact number of beneficiaries. Moreover, the amount earmarked for this “generosity,” or even the source of the money and the criteria chosen to “reward and motivate” one civil servant and not the other, remain ambiguous.
In a related move, the Coordinating Council for Public Sector Retirees will stage a sit-in tomorrow, Friday, at Riad el-Solh Square to reclaim a gradual correction of salaries “on the basis of justice and equality.”
Consequences of Public Sector Strikes
The strikes will impact a whole range of services and procedures. President of the Mill Owners’ Syndicate Ahmad Hoteit disclosed to This Is Beirut that a shipment of wheat, funded by the World Bank, couldn’t be unloaded due to the strike hampering inspections and controls. However, he reassured that millers have ample stocks, though caution is warranted given the regional situation.
The Food Importers’ Syndicate, presided by Hani Bohsali, released a statement on Thursday, warning of “major repercussions of the strike announced by Ministry of Agriculture employees and Ministry of Economy and Trade Consumer Protection Service inspectors, which would impede the entry of food products through Lebanese border posts and ports.”
The text emphasizes that many products require examination and approval by the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as inspection by the Ministry of Economy. Non-compliance with these measures would disrupt their market distribution and incur additional costs for importers, along with the risk of spoilage of certain types of food.
The Butchers’ Union and Livestock Traders’ Syndicate echoed the same concerns, urging the Council of Ministers to “find a solution to the open strike envisaged by the employees of the Ministry of Agriculture.”
Bohsali cautioned that additional orders have been placed in anticipation of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with some already at the port of Beirut awaiting unloading. However, they cannot be cleared as they require approval from the Ministry of Agriculture.
