The executive council of the Union of Workers of Lebanese Bakeries in Mount Lebanon and Beirut criticized yesterday the raise in the price of flour for the second time in less than a year. Participants in the meeting headed by president Shehada Masri in the presence of union members, stressed that flour is a fundamental and vital product for all citizens. They demanded subsidizing to help impoverished people face harsh economic conditions and increasing the minimum wage. The council also condemned the arbitrary dismissal of workers in various institutions and companies and the corresponding growth of the rate of unemployment, calling on all parties upset or affected by the incompetent state economic policies to challenge the arbitrary measures to this effect. It urged all popular and trade union factions to take to the streets in protest of the raise in the price of flour and other foodstuffs should they not receive a response from government authorities. (Al Diyar, February 1, 2019)