Sacked Lebanon Casino Staff Reject New Committee to End Standoff
A group of sacked Casino du Liban employees rejected Sunday a decision by the board of directors to form a committee to find a solution to a five-day standoff over their dismissal, after two board members revoked their earlier resignation over the issue.
George Nakhle and Hicham Naser quit their positions Friday night following a board meeting that failed to propose any tangible solution to the dispute, but Saturday went back on their decision.
They are now joining a new committee formed to reconcile the administration and some 191 employees who were sacked as part of sweeping reforms at the iconic entertainment venue and are now protesting within the building, forcing it to temporarily close.
The committee is expected to propose compensations for some of the sacked employees and an early retirement deal for others, according to media reports.
However, the employees have rejected the idea of the committee, and sent a delegation to discuss the issue Sunday morning with Bishop Boulos Sayyah, representing Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai.
Labor Minister Sejaan Azzi announced Sunday in an interview with Al-Jadeed that he had not been informed in advance of the Casino administration’s decision. He stressed that while reform was necessary for the Casino and all other public institutions, any solution reached should be fair to the employees too.
Source: www.dailystar.com.lb