Bakery Union Requests Review of Bread Price

The President of the Bakery and Confectionery Union in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Nasser Sarour, requested the Ministry of Economy in a statement to "reconsider the price of a loaf of bread, as the cost of living has become dollarized and diesel has risen by more than $150 per ton. Additionally, the wages of bakery workers no longer reflect reality, and they are continually demanding their rights, even though bakeries are paying wages that are double what the Ministry of Economy allocates for workers within the cost of the bread. The additional costs that bakeries are incurring in fresh dollars are still priced at around 15,000 Lebanese pounds per dollar." The union reiterated its request in the statement, calling for a review of the pricing to ensure their continued operation and to preserve the sector from collapse, similar to many sectors in both the public and private domains. He pointed out that "the increase that bakeries are demanding is not considered profit for the bakeries, but rather an increase for the workers and compensation for the losses incurred by the majority of bakeries in dollarized costs and expenses."