Secretary-General of Tunisia s General Labour Union (UGTT) Noureddine Taboubi, a prominent actor in the country s political scene, on Friday called on four ministers appointed by the prime ministe.
BEIRUT: Bread prices in Lebanon rose by LBP250 ($0.17) on Tuesday, the second increase in less than a month, with 930 grams of the basic foodstuff now costing LBP2,500.
A family would need around LBP75,000 a month in order to have a pack of bread a day, with the latest price representing 11 percent of the LBP650,000 monthly minimum wage.
The Ministry of Economy blamed the first increase on the global rise in wheat prices and promised to reduce the price “when global wheat prices or the local dollar exchange rate declines because these two factors control the price of bread in Lebanon.”
BEIRUT: The closure and curfew period in Lebanon has been extended for two more weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), prompting people in Tripoli, Beirut, and Sidon to take to the streets.
The protests were spontaneous, considering that the neighborhoods from which they started are poor, where the residents work for daily wages.
The Minister of Social Affairs and Tourism in the caretaker government Ramzi Musharrafieh said on Tuesday that “230,000 families in Lebanon benefit from aid and have been receiving 400,000 Lebanese pounds ($263) per month since the beginning of the crisis.” He added that “25 percent of the Lebanese people do not need aid.”
Friday, 22 January, 2021 - 11:30
A man collects goods from a garbage bin in Lebanon s northern city of Tripoli on December 12, 2019. (AFP) Beirut - Inas Sherri
The head of Lebanon’s General Labor Union, Bechara Al-Asmar, said that contract workers were severely hit by the repercussions of the Covid-19 lockdowns and the deteriorating economic situation.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Asmar noted that there were around 120,000 contract workers who are hired by state institutions, such as the state-owned power company (EDL), who depend in their living on their daily income.
He said most contract workers earn no more than LBP 50,000 per day, that is, USD 33 on the official exchange rate, and USD 6 on the current black market rate, “making them mainly among the poorest groups in society, especially after the economic crisis.”
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Health Ministry’s Scientific Committee on Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic has recommended extending lockdown by at least two weeks.
In the past week, the country registered a new record for daily coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. More than 78,812 cases were recorded in the past 20 days, which has led doctors to conclude that Lebanon has lost control over the virus.
Sixty-one new deaths were announced on Tuesday, a record high in Lebanon. The Higher Defense Council is expected to hold an emergency session on Thursday to assess the situation.
On Wednesday, taxi drivers clashed with soldiers in front of the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut. Taxi drivers had previously blocked the road leading to the airport with their vehicles, protesting the effect of lockdown measures on their work.