BEIRUT, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's public sector employees started a three-day strike on Thursday in protest against the government's plan to cut their wages in a bid to reduce the state's budget deficit, local media reported.
The general strike was implemented by several departments in the public sector including Port of Beirut, Electricite Du Liban, the National Social Security Fund, water institutions in Beirut, Mount and North Lebanon and Bekaa in addition to the Regie, Ogero, transport sector and railway, according to Elnashra, an online independent newspaper.
Public sector employees including military personnel have been waging demonstrations in the past few days to protest a possible cut in their wages aimed at reducing the state budget's deficit.
Endorsing a state budget that slashes the deficit is among the measures the government has pledged to take as part of the key financial and economic reforms recommended at last year's CEDRE Conference.
To curb Lebanon's budget deficit, which has increased to over 11 percent of GDP, the cabinet will seek to reduce the deficit by 1 percent each year over the next five years by limiting government expenditures.
