The Syndicate of Human Resources Specialists in Lebanon confirmed, in a statement, that the worker in the private sector has become unable to bear more of the burden of living, in light of the continuous erosion of wages, and the sharp rise in the cost of living, transportation, hospitalization, and education, in conjunction with the continuation of tax policies that drain income and undermine the ability to secure a decent life.
The union stressed the need to place the worker at the heart of any economic or social policy, considering that a fair wage is not a privilege but a basic right, and that the economic crisis should not be used as an excuse to reduce the value of work or diminish the rights of employees and workers.
It called on the relevant authority to expedite the correction of the wages of workers in the private sector to match the actual cost of living, to establish a fair transportation allowance, and to enhance social and family benefits, as well as to protect end-of-service compensation and other acquired rights. It also refused to hold the worker accountable for the consequences of wrong economic and financial policies, calling for stopping the imposition of any tax increases and fees affecting low-wage earners.
The union pointed out that institutions are not built on the impoverishment of the worker, and that the wheel of production cannot be straightened with wages that fail to secure the minimum necessities of life, stressing that preserving competencies and continuing productivity inevitably begins with preserving the worker’s dignity and rights.
The union concluded its statement by calling on the Index Committee, which holds its meetings today, to do justice to workers in the private sector by approving a fair wage correction that ensures the preservation of their purchasing power.
