The Executive Council of the Union of Bank Employees in Lebanon held a meeting dedicated to discussing the latest developments regarding the security plan in the banking sector. The Council issued the following statement:
1. The Union Council demands the assurance of security at workplaces and refuses to allow colleagues to resume work in the absence of security measures that ensure their safety and that of depositors during working hours. It calls on various security authorities to understand the Union's demand for security in all workplaces, especially since threats of violent bank incursions continue to circulate on social media. The latest was a message from the gathering of depositors in Lebanese banks: "Advice to all depositors: Thursday is the day of the attack on the banks. Attack, fight, kill, and liberate your money. Those with the courage have the right to free their money and have priority...."
2. The Union Council urges security agencies to pursue those who issue these threats, which create a tense atmosphere and encourage legal violations and the use of weapons to intimidate employees in the banking sector.
3. The Union Council reiterates its emphasis on the need to expedite the resolution of the deposit issue in the banking sector and provide necessary guarantees for depositors, regardless of the size of their deposits. It calls for an end to the announcement of plans that absolve the state of its responsibilities, as it has squandered depositors' funds through failed financial policies, the latest being the proposed 2022 budget.
4. The Union Council regrets the ongoing suffering of all bank customers, especially those receiving salaries through the localization system due to bank closures. However, it cannot overlook the safety of colleagues who have become threatened after recent incidents in several banking branches. It urges all depositors' associations to cease current policies of threatening banks and their employees and to adopt protest methods sanctioned by law.
5. The Union Council has decided to invite the Council of Delegates to a meeting dedicated to discussing arrangements to ensure the success of the sit-in to be held before the month's end to confirm that the return to work is conditioned on the approval of a security plan that guarantees the safety of employees in the banking sector.
