A Real Danger to the Loaf of Bread in Lebanon.. Bakeries Warn of Production Halt

The Union of Bakeries and Ovens Associations confirmed that "the bakery and oven sector is facing real dangers that threaten the continuity of bread production and its provision to citizens, amid the exceptional circumstances that Lebanon is going through and what the sector has suffered during the past two years from the repercussions of wars and repeated attacks, which led to material and moral losses and significant damage to institutions, bakeries, workers, and production and distribution chains."

The Union explained, in a statement, that "the issue of the conditions of Syrian workers employed in the bakery sector is directly linked to the continuity of work and production, especially in light of the acute shortage of Lebanese labor and the current economic, social, and security conditions."

While stressing its full respect for "Lebanese laws and the powers of the state and its official institutions," calling on the government and relevant authorities, "primarily the General Directorate of General Security and the Ministry of Labor, to adopt quick, realistic, and exceptional solutions commensurate with the nature of the current stage, to ensure the regularization of workers' status and the renewal of residency in a legal and organized manner, as was the practice during the past decades, to preserve the continuity of the sector and prevent any disruption in food security and bread security."

It also affirmed its full readiness "to cooperate and coordinate with the General Directorate of General Security and all relevant official departments to contribute to organizing and legalizing the presence of workers within legal frameworks that preserve the interest of the state and the sector alike."

The Union renewed its demand to the state to "develop a fair support and compensation plan for bakeries and institutions affected by wars and successive crises, given the heavy losses incurred by the sector, which directly reflected on its operational and productive capacity."

The Union called on President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun, Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Minister of Labor Mohammed Haidar, and Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Bisat to "assume their national responsibilities and expedite the handling of this vital file away from delay or administrative complications, because bread security remains a national priority that cannot tolerate procrastination, and because maintaining the stability of this sector constitutes direct protection for the citizen and social security in the country."

It concluded by stressing that "the stage requires cooperation between the state and the sector to reach balanced solutions that preserve law, stability, and production, away from any debates or tensions that do not serve the national interest."