The Union of Public Transport held on Monday a press conference chaired by Bassam Tleis with the participation of the head of the General Labor Union, Bechara Al Asmar, to announce a 3-day strike, starting February 2nd.
“Let everyone know that we are not the amateurs of strikes, but advocates of dialogue in this difficult period in which the Lebanese people live with a minimum of decent living,” Bechara Al Asmar said during the press conference.
He explained that the land transport sector accounts for 95% of public transport and is experiencing a lot of problems and that the sector is “represented by unions that deal with the issues of workers and transport employees.”
The strike will take place on February 2nd, 3rd, and 4th from 5:00 am until 3:00 pm across Lebanon, from North to South, including Greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and all the way in the Bekaa.
Tleis commented that “the country is for all Lebanese. Hunger affects everyone and the road transport sector brings all Lebanese together, and if the union goes down to the street, it will paralyze the whole country.”
A couple of weeks earlier, on January 13th, the transport union organized a day of a nationwide protest, leaving all the sectors of the economy closed for the day.
It was described as the day of anger as public transport employees are angry and frustrated at the economic crisis that is affecting their livelihood.