Workers of the Lebanese Ramco Company for waste collection cut the company’s entrance and prevented the trucks from passing in protest against the disbursement of their salaries in the Lebanese currency, in clear violation of their contracts stipulating the approval of the US dollar as a currency for the payment of salaries.
The president of the “National Federation of Trade Unions and Employees in Lebanon”, Castro Abdullah, pointed out that the company is now paying salaries to foreign and Lebanese workers in the Lebanese currency at the regular exchange rate, i.e. 1.500 Lebanese pounds for one dollar. That is, the amount of 350 dollars, the supposed salary, equals 525.000 liras, and it is not enough even to send 100 dollars to their families abroad, that is, if they were able to send it and if enough of their salary remained after a few days of receipt.
Abdullah added that a number of workers in the company complained about the reflection of the company’s lack of respect for the contracts. This was reflected in their rents’ payment, when owners asked them to pay in dollars.
Abdullah also pointed out that “workers are also pressured to perform their jobs, and they are forced to do so without applying hygiene standards under Coronavirus conditions. Their profession essentially requires them to deal with waste and collect it, he pointed out.
“They were not given masks, gloves or even sterilization materials”, Abdullah added.
#Lebanon #WorkersRights #Coronavirus #Protest #Strike
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