Bakeries to close
from Thursday

Open-ended strike to protest high prices of raw materials

The Federation of Unions of Mills and Bakeries are gearing up for an open-ended strike starting Thursday afternoon (April 19) to protest the increase in the price of raw materials used in bread production.

The Federation said in a statement that the main reasons behind the strike are the sharp rise in the price of fuel, yeast, sugar, and other raw materials used for producing white bread, as well as the cabinet’s decision to raise the minmum wage of employees.

The Federation has called on the government to increase subsidies on raw materials. The government already subsidizes the price of wheat. In April last year, the Ministry of Economy and Trade reduced the price of wheat flour from $386 to $353 per ton.

The price of a one-kilo pack of white flat bread is currently capped at LL1,500 ($1). The union of bakeries had earlier suggested raising the price of the one-kilo pack to LL2,000 ($1.3) while adding two extra loaves to the pack.

Reported by Hanadi Chami