As the Lebanese government voiced readiness to deal out fuel subsidy payments, confederation of public drivers and transport unions suspended its strike which was scheduled on Thursday.

As the Lebanese government voiced readiness to deal out fuel subsidy payments, confederation of public drivers and transport unions suspended its strike which was scheduled on Thursday.

A late-night deal was reached, on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Najib Miqati for the finance ministry
“The meeting was positive and was dominated by the spirit of cooperation and responsibility,” Miqati told As Safir daily about talks he held with union representatives Bassam Tleis and Abdul Amir Najde.
Eventually, we reached an agreement on the suspension of the strike,” he said.

The payments will be only executed after parliament approves a draft law on the issue. Miqati told Tleis and Najde that Speaker Nabih Berri has promised him that parliament would discuss the draft law within a month.

The cabinet, meanwhile, agreed on Wednesday to put the transportation issue on the agenda of its next session. Ministerial sources told An Nahar daily that discussions during the government meeting focused on the illegal fuel subsidy decision taken by former Premier Saad Hariri’s caretaking cabinet.

The ministers later approved the subsidy on condition of a parliamentary adoption of the draft law.