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The General Workers Union of Lebanon called for a comprehensive national strike next Wednesday to refuse to lift subsidies for consumer goods.
The head of the “union” Bechara Al-Asmar announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the union “flatly refused to raise support under any name”, calling “all workers and all Lebanese to carry out a national general strike in all Lebanese lands, next Wednesday, December 16 “. This is the prelude to the broader wave of strikes, sit-ins and demonstrations to the final and decisive end of the destructive and murderous policies of the broadest groups in society. “
In a detailed statement, Al-Asmar spoke about the situation in Lebanon, saying: “ After most of the Lebanese funds evaporated or were forcibly seized in an incomparable law, and after inflation reached higher Out of 370%, more than 60% of citizens fell below the poverty line. While the interim government is concerned about taking illegal measures that are among the prerogatives of an original government that must be formed immediately, in all these conditions that destroy the life and dignity of the Lebanese, and instead of seriously seeking to recover money looted or smuggled and working to end persistent corruption, here is our government. It is moving decisively to curb subsidies to derivatives of the flour industry by limiting the subsidy only to white bread, as it has been leaked that it will resort to raising subsidies to gasoline by 40 to 60% in preparation to lift it completely.
Al-Asmar also spoke about the tendency to rationalize support for drugs without a clear conception of their impact on social security, guarantor bodies and other decisions that will lead to a major paralysis in the economic cycle and the life of the country and the collapse of the entire medical system, as well as the economic blockade and sanctions facing Lebanon.
Al-Asmar considered that everything that is said about the ration cards, the categories to be included and the amounts specified for them, and that the loans are made from international institutions instead of donations to finance them, does not bode well, especially with previous disappointing experiences.
He stressed that any real and radical solution must start from the formation of the future government, and before seeking and rationalizing or canceling support, or addressing financial, social, economic, educational conditions and the issue of salaries, benefits and guarantees, opening a dialogue serious and balanced between the productive partners in order to establish a “new social contract” according to With the present and future stage, and without it, we will remain in the vortex of useless and random decisions.
Al-Asmar added: “Enough is enough and there is no way out for the poor and those with limited incomes, and thus silence is no longer permissible, and time is really like a sword limit if you don’t kill yourself, especially the increase in education premiums in private universities and with what bank employees are exposed to the possibility of spending thousands of them for an association “. Combined banks and other measures “.
From here he stated, “Based on the right of the General Union of Workers in Lebanon, but one of its basic duties, to move not only to protest or raise costs, but to put a real and definitive end to this tragedy implacable, we declare our absolute refusal to raise support under any name, our adherence to forming an effective government immediately capable of initiating remedies. ”
He said: “The General Union of Workers calls on all workers and all Lebanese to carry out a national general strike in all Lebanese lands, on Wednesday, December 16, as a prelude to the broader wave of strikes, sit-ins and demonstrations. until the final and decisive end of these destructive and deadly policies for the broadest segments of society. ” .
Several meetings have been held in Lebanon between officials and the Banque du Liban to discuss how to lift the subsidy and the mechanism that will be adopted to compensate for it, after foreign exchange reserves fell in an unprecedented way, as information indicates that there is no more than 1 billion and 800 million dollars alone, noting that La Banque du Liban support costs is about 600 million dollars.
The central bank is using dwindling foreign exchange reserves to support important imports like wheat, fuel and medicine. The elimination of the subsidies, which the central bank says could not last more than two months, will cause further suffering.
