The Association of Banks in Lebanon announced the closure of banking establishments on Wednesday, “in order to preserve the safety of employees in the banking sector, and in view of the possibility that their access to their workplaces may be disrupted due to the next strike of unions and road transport federations tomorrow “.
This information comes as schools and universities are also expected to keep their doors closed following a decision by Minister of National and Higher Education Abbas Halabi.
As a reminder, the demonstrators, at the call of the trade union confederation of transport, aim to denounce the degradation of social and economic conditions induced by the current crisis in Lebanon but also the non-respect by the Lebanese authorities of the promises made to them. were made regarding the maintenance of purchasing power. This strike call comes as the Lebanese pound hit its all-time low against the dollar just 2 days ago, with a parity rate of 33,000 LL / USD on the black market. Thus, the minimum wage which was equivalent to 450 USD just 2 years ago would currently be worth less than 20 USD. This deterioration in the parity of the Lebanese pound has led to a significant loss in purchasing power, with Lebanon importing 70% of its goods paid for in foreign currency, causing more than 82% of the population to live below the poverty line.
