Lebanon’s bank strike extended

Lebanon’s bank strike extended

BEIRUT: The Association of Banks has extended its strike throughout Lebanon until the beginning of next week. Arab News has been informed that the decision was taken on the advice of caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. The banks closed on Monday following a series of holdups by a number of angry depositors who targeted branches and ended up receiving a sum of their deposits. Banks are seeking safety assurances from the authorities so they can reopen. However, according to a security source, the plan of the Ministry of Interior to protect them “needs more time” to be implemented. In the meantime, banks have decided to only receive customers who have prior appointments, and they may be inspected on arrival. The association said the measures were to protect bank employees after a number of attacks. A trader who wanted to pay his debts, a woman who wanted to pay her sister’s medical bills, and a soldier have been among depositors who have broken into banks. Banks in Lebanon have 20,000 employees which, taking their families into account, means that around 50,000 people are reliant on employment in the sector. Head of the Bank Employees’ Union George Al-Hajj said members would abide