The Syndicate of Workers in Governmental Hospitals in Lebanon discussed in a meeting matters related to low salaries and the difficult living situation, especially after signing the social assistance decrees for November and December 2021, and approving the social grant for the year 2022 in the Council of Ministers, and indicated that all these measures don’t achieve their requirements, and that it will remain ink on paper unless it takes its way to implementation.”

The syndicate explained in a statement, that it found itself “between two options, either stop working completely, which will hit the health sector severely, or continue in light of economic and political crises, and this is suicide in particular.”

The statement added: “Humanity requires that we continue, but how can we reach our work centers? We don’t know if the Minister of Public Health conducted a study on the minimum required to reach our work stations. But despite that, we found ourselves standing between these two options, preserving the continuity of this sector for the sake of our people, and at the same time not neglecting the rights and dignity of workers.”

The syndicate announced, “after the approval of the majority of the members,” the following:

First: The Ministry of Health should immediately prepare a study to readjust salaries and make them commensurate with the percentages that these salaries have lost in value, due to devaluation.

Second: providing a financial grant equal to $150 until salaries are corrected.

Third: Raising the value of the transportation allowance in proportion to the increase in fuel prices, equivalent to one third of the plate price approved in the official schedules, and making it a lump sum equal to 22 working hours.

Fourth: Taking a quick decision to implement the salary raise that was provided to public administration employees, in terms of ranks, and grades, and giving a retroactive effect to that.

The statement concluded: “We government hospital employees give the Ministry of Health one week from the date of this statement, to find solutions to the aforementioned demands, otherwise we will head to the largest sit-in against the ministry.”