Resigned Labour Minister Charbel Nahhas Beirut – George Shahin Nicolas Fattoush was officially appointed on Thursday morning as the Lebanese Acting Minister of Labour following the resignation of the former Minister Charbel Nahhas was accepted as he refused to sign a decree on transportation allowance.
The signing of the transportation allowance decree was one of the first steps taken by the new minister.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati received the new Minister in his office on Thursday morning, when he also said that he wishes this would be an opportunity to resume the government works to achieve the Lebanese goals. Fattoush said that the only route to be taken now is to address people’s demands in accordance with the applicable laws and the national constants away from any pressures or provocations.
The resigned Minister Charbel Nahhas called the Lebanese people to demonstrate before the parliament, heavily criticising the political blocs including the one he belongs to.
Nahhas considered that the transportation allowance was a fake one, as it was 'stolen' from people 16 years ago. He also said that the decree he had been asked to sign was a convention between a group of merchants, who are selling and buying.
On Wednesday the Lebanese government had announced that it has approved the resignation of Labour Minister Charbel Nahhas.
According to the Lebanese National Media Agency (NMA), Prime Minister Najib Mikati received Nahhas's letter of resignation during a meeting with Minister of Electricity and Water Gibril Basil, and accepted after consulting with President Michel Suleiman.
The resignation came a day after MP Michel Aoun, leader of the Change and Reform bloc to which Nahhas belongs to, resigned from the party, on account of the transportation allowance decree issue.
Nahhas has said that he refused to sign the decree on transportation allowances, which was agreed upon in Baabda between the Economic Committees and the General Workers Union, because it was “illegal for the cabinet to stipulate transportation allowances.”
The former minister called on the Lebanese public to hold demonstrations before the parliament, slamming political blocs including Change and Reform.
He had stated earlier Wednesday during a meeting with protesters who had gathered outside his home in solidarity with him that “the issue was beyond political alignments.”
“We have great hope that we will breach all blocs and stop gangs from ruling the country.”
The transportation allowance decree was at the centre of a dispute between Mikati and Nahhas, who refused to sign the “illegal” decision.
Local newspapers had said that the labour minister, who is loyal to Aoun, was expected to sign the decree on Tuesday, averting a three-week crisis.
Aoun had said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “The dispute over the transportation allowance is now between us and Nahhas.”
“The government no longer has anything to do with the dispute and we have taken our time in handling the issue in order to preserve the rights of employers and employees,” he explained.
“We thank him for his service and high competency in his work,” he said.
His circumstances no longer allow him to continue on working with us,” Aoun added.