Access to socio-eco rights

Ogero worker threatens self-immolation in Sidon

An Ogero employee Thursday held a bottle of gasoline over his head and threatened to set himself on fire if employees’ demands continued to go unanswered, at a protest against wage stagnation in the southern city of Sidon.

The man in question was calmed and ultimately prevented from setting himself on fire by fellow employees of the state-run telecommunications company.

Ogero employees have for months been holding protests across Lebanon, demanding that their wages be raised in accordance with a public sector salary scale law passed by Parliament last July.

Disabled Lebanese protest proposed ministry cuts

Hundreds of disabled persons and activists gathered Thursday near the presidential palace in Baabda to protest a potential 20 percent cut to the Social Affairs Ministry’s 2018 budget.

The protesters were bussed to the area from across Lebanon by the National Federation for Persons with Disabilities, which represents some 100 groups dedicated to fighting for disabled rights.

Ogero workers continue wage protests in Tyre

Ogero employees and workers in Tyre are continuing their open strike demanding salary scale wages, the National News Agency reported Wednesday.

Although the workers were present in their offices, they refused to work, saying they would continue to protest until their demands were met.

The salary scale law, passed by Parliament in July, mandated an increase in wages for all public sector workers. However, the law has not been fully implemented.

Contract teachers protest in front of Education Ministry

Primary school teachers held a protest in front of the Education Ministry near Beirut’s Cola area Friday in demand of secure long-term contracts.

Among their demands, voiced by protester Nisreen Shaheen, were the payment of transportation fees included in the National Social Security Fund and a minimum monthly salary, “like in other [public] sectors,” the state-run National News Agency reported.

Sidon municipal workers strike over wages

Sidon’s municipal employees carried out a one-day warning strike Thursday in demand of the application of the salary scale law, as government employees have been doing for months.

The workers are demanding a raise by three grades, which is granted to all members of public administrations by article 17 of the law, known as Law 46.

The strike reportedly paralyzed the Sidon municipalities’ various departments and was attended by Sidon Mayor Mohammed al-Saudi.

Ogero workers hold wage strike in Sidon

Employees of state-run telecoms giant Ogero held a strike in Sidon Thursday in protest of their wage stagnation, in the latest development in a months-long dispute.

The strike reportedly took place in all of Ogero’s Sidon branches and in other areas of southern Lebanon after workers’ wages remained largely unchanged despite the passage of a salary hike for public sector workers last year.

EDL workers, riot police clash at protest in Beirut

Electricite du Liban contract workers briefly blocked a main highway during a protest that erupted into intermittent clashes with riot police.

The workers, who initially were demonstrating at EDL headquarters in Beirut’s Mar Mikhael, headed to the adjacent highway, blocking it and bringing traffic to a halt.

President of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers Bechara Asmar urged the protesters to head back to the headquarters, saying that their action would impact other Lebanese citizens.

EDL workers, riot police clash at protest in Beirut

 Electricite du Liban contract workers briefly blocked a main highway during a protest that erupted into intermittent clashes with riot police.

The workers, who initially were demonstrating at EDL headquarters in Beirut’s Mar Mikhael, headed to the adjacent highway, blocking it and bringing traffic to a halt.

President of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers Bechara Asmar urged the protesters to head back to the headquarters, saying that their action would impact other Lebanese citizens.

EDL workers protest

A video of an Internal Security Forces officer slapping an Electricite du Liban worker went viral over the weekend, sparking outrage and prompting the ISF to promise to open an investigation. The incident took place Friday when EDL contract workers held a protest at the state-run company’s headquarters in Beirut’s Mar Mikhael. ISF personnel and riot police, led by an ISF brigadier general identified as H.Kh., were dispatched to end the demonstration. The video shared on social media Saturday showed H.Kh.

Hospital workers end strike after promise of action

Government hospital employees across Lebanon brought to a close an open-ended strike Monday after Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani met with their union representatives and agreed to a list of demands.

Workers had been striking across the country, with strikes reported in the southern city of Sidon and in front of the Health Ministry in Beirut Monday. Workers demanded the implementation of the salary scale law and called for their working hours to be defined.

Pages

Subscribe to Access to socio-eco rights