Bakery Workers’ Union warns: The loaf of bread is not a field for political wrangling and calls for protecting workers’ rights

The head of the Bakery Workers’ Union in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Shehadeh Al-Masri, stressed that the issue of the loaf of bread is directly linked to citizens’ social security, underscoring the need to protect the rights of workers and employees in the bakery sector amid difficult economic conditions.

Al-Masri said in a statement: “The loaf of bread is a sacred right for all citizens and the daily sustenance of the overwhelming majority of the people, especially under the current circumstances, with rising unemployment, growing numbers of jobless people, the worsening economic crisis, and workers being the main pillar in producing the loaf of bread.”

He added: “We were the first to raise the slogan that the loaf of bread is a red line, and we will not be false witnesses over the bread of the poor and the sweat of workers. Because the Labor Law and the applicable laws are not being implemented, and because the agreement of the Ministry of Economy and Trade is not being applied and enforced, workers have unfortunately become the weakest link, whether Lebanese or Syrian, in many bakeries. Many employers are stalling in applying the law under the pretext that there are no Lebanese workers in the profession, even though the Ministry of Economy and Trade has lists submitted by bakery owners containing the names of Lebanese workers employed in bakeries.”

Al-Masri continued: “The issuance from time to time of statements about bakeries incurring losses and Syrian workers leaving for their country gives us the right to ask: Has any bakery closed because there were no workers? Unfortunately, we have winter and summer under one roof. There are bakeries that have completed work permits for Syrian workers and registered them with the National Social Security Fund, and bakeries that have not completed work permits because of the high number of workers.”

He pointed out that the union is committed to preserving the continuity of work in the sector and guaranteeing the rights of all parties, saying: “Because we are workers, and among our priorities is preserving the continuity of work for both sides — workers and employers — as well as the quality, standard, and safety of the loaf of bread and all bakery and oven products, it is our right as bakery and oven workers to have the Labor Law and the applicable laws applied to all workers in the profession without exception, so that agreements do not remain ink on paper. Therefore, we appeal to the Ministry of Labor to protect workers’ rights by conducting a tripartite dialogue among the ministry, workers, and employers.”

He added: “We also ask the Ministry of Economy and Trade to hold a tripartite and multidimensional dialogue, and to form a committee of experienced and competent experts to study the cost of producing a bundle of bread, including everyone connected to the bread industry, in order to protect citizens’ bread and give everyone their due.”