Employees at Rafik Hariri Hospital announced an open strike starting Monday. The strike will remain until their full demands are met.
In their announcement, their demands were as follows:
- 30% of their salaries be paid in dollars,
- Payment for their overtime work,
- An advance payment for 3 months.
Among their demands was to receive payment for their wage and salary increases as a one-time payment.
The employees added that if their demands are not met, they will escalate.
Rafik Hariri Hospital is the biggest public hospital in Lebanon. It has assumed a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of both testing and providing healthcare.
During the pandemic, it was among the many hospitals running out of room for more patients as the number of cases surged in the country.
However, it isn’t immune to the crises that have hit the country, from electricity to the unavailability of medical supplies.
Earlier in August of this year, the hospital was faced with the risk of running out of fuel, endangering the lives of the patients there.
The employees in the hospital work in harsh conditions as continuous issues in Lebanon arise. Their salaries are also in LBP, which harms their ability to live, let alone work.
The hospital has been another victim of past governments’ neglect, despite it being a major part of Lebanon’s healthcare system.
