Lebanese public sector employees have initiated a two-week strike demanding increased wages and transportation allowances, as reported by local news outlet L’Orient Today. Ibrahim Nahal, from the League of Public Administration Employees, stated that around 90% of the workforce participated in the northern city of Tripoli, with significant turnout elsewhere.
The strikers are pressing for increased transportation allowances, enhanced health care coverage, and wage hikes. Their wages, paid solely in Lebanese pounds, have plummeted in real value due to a severe economic crisis that’s been afflicting the nation for over three years, causing drastic local currency depreciation.
The League had discussions with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati regarding their concerns a few weeks prior, but the talks ended without a resolution. Lebanon has been suffering from hyperinflation and a significant economic downturn since the end of 2019, drastically affecting the country’s public sector.