Wednesday, June 09, 2010

BEIRUT: Trade Unions called Tuesday for a strike on June 17 in protest of economic policies

pursued by the Lebanese government, while teachers protested over their wages outside the

Education Ministry.

The General Labor Confederation (GLC) issued a statement in which it criticized the heavy reliance of the 2010 budget on indirect taxation.

The statement labeled the imposition of a high tax on gasoline by the government as “an act of

stealing from all Lebanese people” that is resulting in a general increase in prices.

“The Cabinet and the Parliament have a real opportunity to adopt a new approach in formulating

a budget with economic and social dimensions meeting the essential needs of people,” said the

statement.

For several sessions, the Lebanese Cabinet has been discussing the 2010 draft budget.

The GLC voiced its readiness to hold a general strike on June 17 “since the Cabinet was

adopting the same old policies manifested in drafting budgets without touching on demands of

the vast majority of the Lebanese.”

In April, the GLC participated in a strike held by taxi drivers in protest against high

gasoline prices.

The GLC called upon all trade unions and Lebanese people who are negatively affected by the

Cabinet’s economic policies to participate in the upcoming protest.

Meanwhile, the head of the General Labor Union (GLU) Maroun Khaouli called upon all Lebanese

to participate in the upcoming strike.

“The tax on 20 liters of gasoline has exceeded 40 percent of the price of the taxed quantity,”

said Khaouli.

Khaouli spoke to reporters during a news conference he held at the “Worker’s House” in Bsalim.

He asserted that the 2010 draft budget would rely on revenues extracted form the “pockets of

poor people.”

Khaouli also accused the Cabinet of planning to raise taxation on gasoline “which is now more

than LL13,000 on every 20 liters of gasoline.”

“This big increase in revenues will not be used to meet the essential needs of people,” said

Khaouli, adding that the Cabinet intended to borrow more funds and pay higher interests.

“Confronting taxes on gasoline is a national duty,” added the head of GLU, noting that a

Facebook campaign he instigated to mobilize people against increasing gasoline prices had

attracted huge support.

The page titled: “No to the Gasoline Tax – We Want to Gather One Million Lebanese Against the

Gasoline Tax,” has picked up around 50,000 fans.

Khaouli, the vice president of GLU, has boycotted GLC meetings for more than two years because

of disputes with the leadership about its political stances, which came at the expense of

labor-related issues.

However, the GLU chief called for joining the GLC in June 17’s strike because it concerned all

Lebanese people and was decided upon away from political considerations.

Meanwhile, intermediary and secondary public school teachers held a sit-in around the

Education and Higher Education Ministry near the UNESCO palace in Beirut.

The protesters urged the Cabinet to respond to their demands for promotions which entail a

raise in salary as well.

Earlier, the teachers threatened to boycott the correction of official exams if their demands

went unheeded.

Hanna Gharib, Head of the Secondary Teachers’ Syndicate (LPESPL), said all teachers were

united in their demands for promotions, stressing the movement would always be democratic and

away from political considerations.

Teachers from the LPESPL went into the 12th floor of the ministry and tried to convince some

teachers to refrain from setting standards for correcting official exams which they were

already doing.

An argument erupted between both sides, forcing Education Minister Hassan Mneimneh to invite

teachers who were putting correction standards to his office.

“I assure you that every citizen has the right to demand a salary raise in a democratic way,”

Mneimneh told the teachers as he slammed the act of LPESPL members.

Mneimneh said he forwarded some proposals for the protesting teachers, adding that the ideas

were rejected.

“If they continue to refuse, I will retrieve the issue from Cabinet discussions,” he added.

The minister accused teachers calling for boycotting grading exams of “h