News

With the soaring prices in restaurants and cafes, often blamed on the rising cost of rent in Beirut as well as on new stringent conditions put by some restaurants on consumers such as the compulsory ‘shisha’ with every meal, a new wave of young people and shop owners are reportedly seeking entertainment places in the outskirts and migrating farther away from the boundaries of the administrative Beirut district. In this respect, Byblos came first in attracting nightlife goers and for that reason has now been classified as the second Downtown Beirut, the original having become increasingly deserted as a result of the overall poor economic and security conditions in the country as well as the high level of rent. Hussein Shareef, a random young consumer, told Al Diyar newspaper that he prefers to go to places outside the capital where he can access affordable entertainment. Roy Abi Khalil for his part noted that he and his friends are old customers of Hamra and Verdun cafes and pubs; however, due to the rocketing prices of dining and the like, they have opted now for other cheaper places and found Byblos to be an appropriate one. In view of that, it is now urgent that the Ministry of Economy intervenes in order to curb the increase in rental prices. (Al Diyar, 30 June 2015)

Civil society and legal lobby groups, including the proposed union of migrant domestic workers and the Notaries of Lebanon, succeeded in forcing the General Security Directorate to repeal its circular that refuses to recognize all forms of emotional and contractual relationships between migrant workers of the third and fourth categories during their contractual work in Lebanon. (for full news: Notaries refuse General Security circular regarding foreign domestic workers). To this effect, the Justice Ministry issued on the first of July a memo asking all notaries to consider the above GS circular as void and nil and return to the previous arrangement regulating the sponsorship system. The new circular was welcomed by all notaries who lauded the Justice Ministry’s positive step in response to a letter issued on June 10, 2015 by the Council of Notaries asking for cancellation of said GS decision. To note, that seven associations, including the “Founding Committee of the General Union of Cleaning and Care Workers” urged in a detailed memo on May 13 the Justice Minister to cancel the GS Circular 1778 which they argued violated international conventions on human rights and all legal principles. In this respect, the Legal Agenda Executive Director lawyer Nizar Saghieh told Al Akhbar newspaper that what happened is one of the rare cases in which a public institution positively responds to a demand of this kind, particularly that the memo was also signed by the proposed union of migrant domestic workers. (Al Akhbar, 8 July 2015)

Once again, An Nahar daily lacks objectivity by choosing to side with the Labor Minister Sajaan Azzi (and with them, the unfortunate position of the General Trade Union) in its objection to establishing a union for migrant women domestic workers (MWDW). The newspaper published an article last Saturday, in fact the second in a short interval, in which the ministry accused civil society organizations defending the rights of migrant domestic workers of opportunism and using this issue to justify their funding from international organizations (refer to the previous link entitled: Is a trade union for migrant domestic workers really a threat? CGTL sides with the government!). An Nahar went on to wonder: “Why do migrant domestic workers keep renewing their contracts if work conditions were not that convenient?” Instead of acknowledging the rights of workers in assembling and organizing similarly to the recruiting agencies which exploits them, the Labor Ministry throws the responsibility on sending countries and their recruiting agencies. And while the Ministry persists in refusing to legalize such a trade union based on the fact that migrant workers in other countries do not boast that right, the president of the National Federation of Trade Unions, Castro Abdallah, confirmed that the proposed union would be the first of its kind in the Arab world but not the first in the world. He then cited the very active International Union of Workers in Domestic Service, which recently held its international conference in Uruguay. In a disturbing move, the Lebanese General Trade Union sent a rather disparaging message to Sajaan Azzi through Ali Mohyddeen, member of its executive council, in which he expressed his “surprise” towards the decision by the International Labor Organization to provide 400 thousand dollars to fund actions in favor of foreign workers. Mohyddeen called upon Azzi to query the ILO on the reasons for and modalities of disbursing such a huge amount to facilitate the organization of protests and activities in favor of “domestic maids”. It is worth mentioning here, the close institutional and strategic relationship which ties the ILO and the General Trade Union. In fact the latter organization was never on the record for refusing donations from the ILO.

In a pioneering move in Lebanon, Labor Minister Sajaan Azzi sponsored the launching of the new electronic job portal, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the National Employment Office (NEO) and Microsoft Company, which will enable employers and job seekers to connect. During the press conference held for the ceremony, Azzi maintained that the new job portal initiative is the third project to be launched this year by the Ministry of Labor (MoL) in collaboration with NEO. It is to be noted that the first in that series was a project called the first job opportunity for youth, which is expected to create some 4800 jobs for the young generation of both sexes during the next four years. Azzi pointed out that the number of Lebanese living under the poverty line, with less than USD 4 per day, number some 1 million and 170 thousand persons, equivalent to one third of the total population of the country. He underscored that “there are many people out there who want to work in professions which we believe suffer from a shortage in workforce.” Azzi also announced that NEO will be expanding its outreach so as to cover all poor localities, and in order to better target unemployed persons. For his part, NEO general director Jean Abi Fadel said the new portal project will be open to collaboration with all and in accordance with the prevailing laws. He urged the private sector to further cooperate with his institution by advertising job offers that meet their business requirements. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, 7 July 2015)

The Lebanese-American Amina Audi was elected as a distinguished furniture industry designer in the American Home Furnishing Hall of Fame Foundation for the year 2015. The jury selected the short-listed candidates for their positions among leading designers based on a number of criteria: continued excellence, outstanding achievement, innovation and creativity and generous humanitarian actions. The five newly elected members were chosen by a 7-member committee as per their contributions to the making and development of the US house furniture. Born in Kfarhazir, Kura, in North Lebanon, and a resident of New York City, Amina Audi began her career in the West as a broadcaster in the Voice of America radio station and later as a teacher at a United Nations-run school. Today, she is the CEO of Stickley, Audi & Co. finest furniture stores founded back in 1900. The company is famed for quality handmade oak furniture uniquely distinctive in its manual wood carving. In addition to her work in the furniture field, Audi chaired many US-based charities. To name some, she served as a member on NYU Board of Trustees and represented the American woman at the UN Human Rights Conference in Vienna 1993 and in the United Nations IVth Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Besides, she carried the title of the best 1997 businesswoman in the State of New York. Furthermore, Audi was honored by many institutions, notably the American Red Cross and by the Lebanese American University. She also received an honorary doctorate from Colgate University. (An Nahar, 7 July 2015)

Snail farming seems to have kicked off in the Beqaa area, having emerged two years ago on a narrow scale, particularly in Ammiq and Deir al A7hmar. (For more info, please access the following link: Snail farming in Lebanon, an emerging alternative and a very profitable industry). A new farmland of 8-10 acres was set up in Taybeh, is run by a young woman who is supported by her family members, and supervised by a well-experienced snail breeder from Deir Al A7hmar. Snails feed on a special kind of weed similar to chard or dandelion which seeds are imported from Italy. The height of the plant should not exceed 35cm to prevent snails from climbing them and dying. Snails mate with each other and record a 100% rate of hatching. To be noted, the weather in Beqaa is ideal for snail breeding, since breeding can take place within a temperature ranging between 50 ° C in summer and –15 ° C in winter. (Al Diyar, 5 July 2015)

Member of the Syndicate for Exporters of Citrus Fruits and Banana, Rida Fadel, the Cooperative Association of Fruit Trees and Seedlings in Central and West Bekaa, the President of the Federation of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon and Head of Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber, Mohamad Shucair, as well as the President of Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Tripoli and the North, Tawfik Dabbussi, all praised the Cabinet decision of last week to support and subsidize sea exports. However, President of the Lebanese-Omani Business Council Shadi Masaad warned that the 7-month timetable set for the said decision is not sufficient to resolve a crisis that is likely to last longer. Meanwhile, Beqaa farmers went back to work and resumed those agricultural activities which were delayed by the recent closure of the land borders with Syria. In this respect, As Safir newspaper reported that the decision on maritime transport is expected to halt any further decline in prices of domestic fruit production. Prospects for the peach season seem promising since harvest was not completed. The newspaper noted that with the resumption of export activity, prices of fruits are expected to stabilize at normal levels. (Al Diyar, As Safir, 4 and 5 July 2015)