The Hezbollah statement said the protests should be an "outcry against the programmed collapse caused by this government."

The statement said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah would hold a press conference on Thursday to comment on the government decision to eliminate Hezbollah's communications network and a disciplinary measure adopted against commander of airport security Brig. Wafiq Shoqeir over the party's monitoring of the facility.

In a meeting on Tuesday the government decided to fire Shoqeir from his current position at the airport for colluding with Hezbollah

The government has also threatened to eliminate the private Hezbollah communications network

The minimum wage was increased in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday from 300,000 LL ( $200) to 500,000 LL( $333) a 67 % increase , the highest wage increase ever in Lebanon, which the unions are labeling as modest

The GFLU has demanded increasing the minimum wage from 300,000 LL ( $200) to LL 960,000 ( $640), a pay raise of 220%

The anti-Syrian Labor Salvation Authority, that opposes Ghassan Ghoson's leadership of GFLU , boycotted the strike and declared Wednesday a day of normal work.

Lebanon's bank employees union also boycotted the strike and said Wednesday is a normal working day, noting that the pay raise adopted by the government on Tuesday meets their labor demands.

PICTURE: Hezbollah supporter burning tires during January 2008 labor strike /protest

Share this Article:           
Feedback? We want to hear your thoughts!