Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Eqtsad)- Syrian young men, especially those lived in border towns with Lebanon, used to work in Lebanon before the revolution, due to lack of employment opportunity even for university graduated, as most of them worked in smuggling goods from Lebanon and sell in small shops. The difference in wages between Lebanon and Syria was another encouraging factor for working in Lebanon.
these days, conditions have been changed for Syrian labours in Lebanon, as they are now refugees who ought to to accept however low the wage is otherwise he would not find source to cover his financial needs for food and shelter for him and his family.
Moreover, it has been recently noticed the increase rate of Syrian ladies and girls who work in Lebanon, leaving the life of comfort back in their country.
Usually more than one member of the Syrian families need to work to cover the cost of food and essential needs as well as the high rent cost, especially with big families.
In regard to wages for Syrian workers of both genders, it was found that for example in bakeries, the boss’s wage reaches to $ 1000, while who work on dough, usually Egyptians and Syrians, receive up to $500-$700, while who work on home delivery receive no more than $400.
Most of bakeries in Beirut tend to employ Syrian girls in cleaning and washing up beside serving customers at wage of $ 100 per week.
Moreover, Beirut municipality employ Syrian men as temporary workers for cleaning streets, trimming trees and spraying at monthly wage ranges around $400-$450 for a period of almost 8 hours a day (from 6am to 2 pm).
There are many of Syrians who work as carpenters, smiths, builders, electricians and plumbers, the expert ones can earn up to $800 a month, while the assistants earn no more than $25 per a day.
The problem Syrian workers face in Lebanon is the need for sponsors, as Syrians cannot work without their coverage and cannot leave them as well because they could be left without documents. Moreover, sponsors tend to keep workers’ wages of many months of an amount reaches to $2600 to force them to stay with them.
Syrian worker costs less.
Lebanese bosses and employers tend to employ Syrians young men and women and use their time and effort to the max, while they give them as little as half the wages of the Lebanese workers, besides saving the insurance expenses.
Shops and stores for selling goods like “mobiles, supermarkets, sweets retail outlet” prefer employing Syrian women because of their nice looking and dealing with customers, at wages of $400-$450 monthly.
In tourist areas Syrian men work in cleaning shores and swimming pools and in restaurants as waiters and receptionists at wages could reach to $800-$1000 in hot seasons. In the same time that income is almost half or a third of what a Lebanese worker could receive beside insurance.
Many Syrians prefer working as watchmen to secure a shelter for them and their families, but in best circumstances they are given a room of almost 10 square meter, and they are deprived of many and freedom, in the same time they receive no wage for the work they do in cleaning stares and floors, beside dealing with the rubbish and residents requests.
Although wages in Beirut for Syrians are relatively seen acceptable, but when taking the long working hours, high cost of houses rent, cost of electricity and water besides food, all that consume the whole income, which make Syrians prefer working as watchmen to secure accommodation for free, and find another job to cover the living expenses, or many of them work in Beirut and leave their families in the north of Lebanon for cheaper cost of living, but visiting them sometimes become problem if the worker does not have official residency in Lebanon.
In regard to studying, some government schools open for Syrian for evening session (after 2pm) for free and parents pay $95 for transportation.
Some affluent Syrians in Lebanon teach their children in private school at monthly cost of $200.
Many Syrians who had good capital started their own business in Beirut like restaurant, sweets shops (Rifaee, halabi, Shami) and clothes trading.
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