Today, Gamal Abdel Nasser Square (Al-Tall) in the city of Tripoli witnessed a central sit-in carried out by the Federation of Trade Unions and Employees in the North, with broad participation from trade union bodies and associations of public and private sector employees, under the slogan “In defense of the livelihood of all of us,” during which the roads leading to the square were blocked by participants and bus drivers in protest against the deteriorating living conditions.
In a speech he delivered during the movement, the head of the union, Captain Shadi Al-Sayyed, described the sit-in as a “warning because of the outrageous prices,” directing his call to the head of the transport unions in charge of negotiating, to work on securing monthly and immediate support for public drivers. Al-Sayed called for this support to include workers in the public and private sectors, in addition to approving a fair transportation allowance and correcting end-of-service compensation.
Al-Sayyid revealed that he had received promises from the Minister of Labor to discuss the files of end-of-service compensation, wage correction, and transportation allowance in a manner that takes into account difficult living conditions, during the upcoming meeting next week, which includes the Index Committee, the General Labor Union, and economic bodies.
In the same context, the head of the Federation of Northern Trade Unions warned of imminent field escalation if the demands were not met, warning by saying: “Unless we get a deadline and full fulfillment of the promises between now and Wednesday, we will take to the street and will not get out of it.”
At the level of regional demands, Al-Sayyed touched on the issue of “absent demand” workers in the Tripoli Water Authority, stressing that the rights of these workers have been “wasted for years.” He indicated that he had made contact with the Ministers of Labor and Energy to meet their demands, stressing the need for them to be equal to their colleagues in terms of working conditions. He issued a categorical warning in this regard: “If the matter of these young people is not resolved, the water utility will be closed, and state institutions will also be closed,” stressing that the movement will remain in place until next Wednesday, awaiting the outcome of the communications.
The sit-in witnessed a series of speeches delivered by representatives of North Lebanon water workers, bus drivers, and government hospital employees, in addition to representatives of Tripoli oil facilities, all of which focused on the need to save the purchasing power of workers and employees.
