No Salaries Before August 15!

The situation regarding employment in public administration and the public sector in the country is deteriorating, following the refusal of the Public Sector Employees Association to accept the authority's offer regarding promises of minor salary increases, some of which have been approved but not disbursed, as revealed by Labor Minister Mustapha Berham in a meeting held at the Grand Serail the day before yesterday. Information from "Al-Liwaa" indicates that salaries for military and civilian personnel, if the strike continues into next week, may not be available before mid-August or after the Feast of the Virgin on the 15th. A direct consequence of the strike is its impact on the Sayrafa exchange rate announced by the Central Bank of Lebanon. After the confusion caused by the actions of Judge Aoun, it was decided that dollars would be withdrawn from banks at the Sayrafa rate in effect yesterday, Tuesday, throughout the strike period.