Lebanese public sector workers go on strike amid worsening economic conditions

Lebanese public sector workers go on strike amid worsening economic conditions

BEIRUT: Public sector employees in Lebanon staged a strike on Wednesday across public administrations and schools, following an appeal by the General Labor Union and the Public Sector Employees' Association, to demand an increase to wages and their purchasing power, which has vanished due to inflation, price rises and the collapse of the Lebanese pound against the dollar. In the absence of official data on the number of state employees, the most accurate available figures indicate that there are 320,000 public sector employees: 120,000 in the army and Internal Security Forces, 40,000 in public schools, 30,000 in ministries and public administration, 130,000 in public institutions and municipalities, along with 120,000 retired soldiers and teachers. Bechara Al-Asmar, head of the General Labor Union, attended a sit-in staged at the union's headquarters in Beirut: "Employees are suffering, the armed forces are complaining, and the country is collapsing. Our demand has become an order: Form a government before the collapse of the structure.“ He added that around 250,000 Lebanese college graduates are jobless and people who have jobs are facing arbitrary dismissal. "Forming a government will provide some political stability, pave the way for economic stability, and re-establish ties that have been cut