The caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati chaired a meeting to continue discussions on the issue of public administration in light of the ongoing open strike in the public sector. Attendees included the ministers from the caretaker government: Finance Minister Youssef Khalil, Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs Nagla Riachi, Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram, and Telecommunications Minister Johnny Karam, along with the President of the Audit Bureau Judge Mohamed Badran, the Chairwoman of the Civil Service Council Nasreen Mashmouchi, the head of the Central Inspection George Atiyeh, the acting General Director of Finance George Maaraoui, and the director of Mikati's office Jamal Karim.
The Labor Minister spoke about the meeting's outcomes, stating: "We discussed the issues concerning the public sector, and all present agreed on the importance of paying attention to the employees' conditions, as public sector employees are currently the most disadvantaged. Their living conditions must be improved by all means, which is their right, to ensure a dignified living." He added that discussions focused on two pathways: one immediate that addresses urgent needs, and a second that may take time and relates to the implementation of the budget, where the Prime Minister noted that matters would be more flexible regarding salary development.
He continued: "Agreements were made on quick matters as follows:
- The social assistance will be converted into a full salary instead of a half salary, to be paid monthly starting from July, provided the employee attends at least two days a week. This assistance does not have to be paid at the beginning of the month with the original salary but will be distributed throughout the month according to the payment schedule at the Ministry of Finance.
- The transportation allowance has been set at 95,000 LLB for each daily attendance, in line with the increases achieved in the private sector through the Ministry of Labor's Index Committee.
- Funding for the State Employees Cooperative has been increased in the budget, raising the healthcare budget nearly fourfold, from 212 billion LLB to 1200 billion LLB. Educational allocations were also increased from 104 billion LLB to 500 billion LLB, a fivefold increase."
He further noted: "A future meeting will be scheduled with the Minister of Education to press private schools not to charge public sector employees' school fees in dollars. There is also a study being prepared by the Minister of Communications that he will announce later, concerning specific discounts. Additionally, there will be a quick study addressing the establishment of a special funding card for public sector employees through a supported program."
He concluded: "What we want to convey to the employees is that the state will be with you and will support you within both quick and other frameworks. If the budget is approved swiftly, which we hope for and request from the esteemed parliamentary council, several very important revenues will positively reflect on employees' salaries." He ended the meeting by asking employees to understand the reality so that cooperation can occur, emphasizing the importance of ending the open strike to avoid harming citizens' interests and the need to maintain administrative functions, prioritizing public sector employee conditions, which are the most dire and vulnerable. Prime Minister Mikati also received a farewell visit from British Ambassador Ian Collard, as he prepares to leave Lebanon.
