Mohammad Haidar wants to strengthen controls over Syrian employment in Lebanon. In an interview published Thursday, November 5, the Minister of Labour announces inspections carried out with the General Safety. He cites three sectors: bakeries, hairdressers and butchers. These statements follow his official visit to Damascus on 2 November, where the two governments discussed the organization of Syrian work in Lebanon.
The Minister advocates stricter application of the existing rules and wishes to increase the position of Lebanese employees. It does not announce any general ban on Syrian employment or any new agreement with Damascus.
Syrian employment in Lebanon: targeted establishments
Mohammad Haïdar distinguishes between the ownership of employment businesses and their employees. In the activities he mentions, he states that the establishments must belong to Lebanese. Syrians, on the other hand, can work, provided they respect the legal framework. It presents this distinction as the principle that will guide inspections.
For bakeries, the minister wants more Lebanese employees in the shops. It does not set a quota and does not provide a number of expected recruitments. Field visits are already taking place, he says. His Ministry intended to intensify them with the support of the General Security.
The maintenance does not include a balance sheet of the establishments inspected or of the infringements identified. Nor does it detail new sanctions. Haidar links his initiative to the fight against unemployment and has warned Syrian interlocutors of the consequences of the controls on persons in an irregular situation.
In Damascus, coordination between ministries
The minister was part of the delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, with Rima Karami, responsible for education, and Hanine Sayed, Minister of Social Affairs. At Tichrine Palace, Hind Kabawat, Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, received Hanine Sayed and Mohammad Haidar.
Exchanges focused on possible agreements governing the employment of Syrians in Lebanon. They also discussed the registration of returnees and the development of their host regions. These topics remain under discussion: no bilateral agreement on labour was announced at the end of this meeting.
Haidar describes frank discussions and announces a technical team to continue coordination. It does not specify its composition or the date of its first meeting. He also insisted on his mandate: in Damascus, he represented the Lebanese government, not Hezbollah.
Bakeries expect clarification
The sector had already taken more time to regularize its foreign employees. On 5 October, the Union of Bakeries and Pastry Trade Unions requested an extension of the deadline due on 30 September. She wished to continue the process with the Ministry of Labour and the General Security without disrupting production.
This request was not to be granted. In his interview on 5 November, Mohammad Haidar did not specify the response given to the union, nor the deadlines for strengthening inspections.
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