Shortly after the cabinet referred the new wage scale to the Parliament for vote, the Syndicate Coordination Committee (SCC) announced it has suspended its strike.

Shortly after the cabinet referred the new wage scale to the Parliament for vote, the Syndicate Coordination Committee (SCC) announced it has suspended its strike.

“The cabinet agreed to refer the new wage scale to the parliament,” Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour told reporters, noting the Amal Movement and Hezbollah ministers have expressed reservation over the 10% decrease that has affected it.

Abou Faour listed the reformist articles related to the financing of the new wage scale which include restricting weekly working hours to 35, with a 45 hours limit, setting the judicial holiday during the month of August, and gradually decreasing the teaching hours of professors as of age 58, amongst other amendments.

For its part, the SCC announced that it has suspended its open-ended strike, while it criticized the taxes’ increase.

The cabinet convened in Baabda Palace on Thursday afternoon, amid nation-wide strikes staged by the Syndicate Coordination Committee.

"The new wage scale will be referred to the parliament for vote for political reasons,” Financial Minister Mohammed Safadi said prior to the meeting, remarking that this, however, “will be economically devastating for the country”.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Hassan Diab warned: “The wage scale must be approved, or else the official exams will not take place”.

The SCC staged a nation-wide protest on Thursday to press the cabinet to refer the new wage scale to the parliament.
Demonstrators held banners demanding the referral of the wage scale amid heavy security deployment.

The cabinet had approved the wage scale last year but has been stalling in finding sources to fund it, leading to growing differences with the SCC, which has been accusing it of negligence.