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The 2019 financial crisis compounded by the nosediving depreciation of the Lebanese currency, greatly impacted the income and livelihood of public service employees, notably the security and military forces, who make up the majority of the civil servants.
With their monthly salaries, earned in Lebanese pounds, dwindling dramatically to the equivalent of $150, many personnel, quit the army, while retirees were hardly able to make a living with such a miserable income.
Frustrated by unfulfilled promises to improve their living conditions, retired personnel took to the streets on Tuesday to vent out their rage by blocking a cabinet meeting which was eventually postponed due to lack of quorum.
According to a retired sergeant, “the Lebanese parliament’s 2024 budget violated the rights of retired military personnel,” by failing to allocate funds for salary increases.
“The minimum salary for retired military personnel is $150 at current exchange rates, compared to nearly $1,200 before the economic crisis in 2019” the sergeant, who requested anonymity, told This is Beirut.
“My monthly expenses for my private generator are $100 and $150, respectively.” He asks again, “so how can I live with my wife and daughter with a fifty-dollar salary?”
Retired soldiers and officers from all security apparatuses, namely the army, the internal security forces, general security and customs, organized the protest on Tuesday to press for their demands, including adjustment of their salaries, in the same way it was done for public sector employees, and a grant, known as a “productivity allowance.”
According to official numbers, the retirees are currently receiving around 10% of their previous salaries, while prices of goods and consumables have increased.
“Employees in the private sector had their salaries adjusted after the state had lifted subsidies (of basic goods) which resulted in increasing the prices of nearly everything. Why is the government still not feeling that we exist?” the retired sergeant asked.
Protesters in front of the parliament blocked the roads in and out. They burned tires leading to the main entrances of Al-Nejmeh square, emphasizing their primary demand to “live with dignity.”
Asking for a minimal salary of 500 US dollars, they stressed that they served the state for years and deserve its attention at this critical moment in Lebanese history.
Salaries of retired personnel vary according to their rank and years of service between $130 to $200. High-raking officers such as generals and colonels, earn $145-200 and $120-180 respectively, but no one earns more than $200.
“Is it fair that a generator bill is three quarters of the income of a retired officer who spent his life on the front and under the rain and cold? And when will the government issue a budget which really tackles this issue rather than giving empty promises and extending deadlines?” asked a retired Brigadier, who also spoke to This is Beirut on condition of anonymity.
Lebanon has been experiencing an unparalleled economic crisis since 2019, which resulted in a historic decline in the value of the national currency versus the US dollar, currently standing at 89,000 liras to the dollar.
