The Syrian Future Movement followed with great interest the second session of the General Council of the General Federation of Trade Unions in Syria, held on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the Federation’s headquarters in Damascus, under the slogan “Nations are built by your hands.” Members of the General Council called for raising the minimum wage, regularizing contracts, enhancing occupational health and safety, reinstating workers dismissed for supporting the revolution, and regulating the conditions of workers in the service and tourism sectors.
Minister of Transport Ya’rub Badr emphasized plans to improve the working environment for employees in the transport sector, while Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani indicated a move to impose a 75% quota for employing Syrian workers, with a plan to gradually increase it to 90% through cooperation with the Engineers’ and Contractors’ Syndicates to utilize local expertise in rehabilitation and construction projects.
Deputy Minister of Administrative Development Anas Al-Sawaf also pointed to the development of the work environment and job descriptions, along with a new performance-based incentive system. He affirmed that the draft Civil Service Law includes merit-based incentive measures and addresses the issue of wages and compensation.
Based on the Syrian Future Movement’s methodology of “support without endorsement and criticism without hostility,” it presents its assessment and vision regarding these demands:
The Syrian Future Movement believes that the issue of wages and the rights of Syrian workers has always been a focus of its attention. The Movement addressed this issue in its study, “Raising Wages in Syria,” published on its official website on March 28, 2024. The study emphasized that raising wages can improve living standards and increase purchasing power, thereby supporting domestic demand and stimulating economic growth. It warned that neglecting to reform the wage and salary system threatens to erode purchasing power and accelerate the inflation rate.
It is certain that the Syrian state, for its part, did not stop at merely addressing union demands, but rather initiated concrete and substantial measures in this regard.
On March 20, 2026, President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued Decree No. (67) of 2026, increasing the salaries and wages of employees in ministries, departments, public institutions, and the public and joint sectors by 50%, effective May 1, 2026.
The decree also stipulated raising the general minimum wage to 12,560 new Syrian pounds (equivalent to 1,256,000 old Syrian pounds) per month.
Finance Minister Muhammad Yasser Barnieh confirmed that these increases are part of a comprehensive reform of the wage system, and that the country is expected to enter 2027 with all reform steps completed, coinciding with the issuance of the new Civil Service Law. The increases will be linked to the cost of living and employee performance.
The Syrian Future Movement notes that the union demands for the reinstatement of those dismissed for supporting the revolution coincided with clear government action on this issue.
On February 27, 2026, the Ministry of Education announced the launch of an online registration portal for dismissed employees. Approximately 27,000 employees registered, distributed across various governorates both within Syria and abroad.
Sources also revealed that over 90% of those dismissed returned to public sector positions on temporary contracts pending the issuance of a comprehensive decree.
On April 14, 2026, the Central Committee tasked with reviewing the cases of dismissed employees convened to discuss the draft decree for their reinstatement. The committee focused on expanding the beneficiary categories to include employees who had been suspended from their duties, addressing the situations of those with court rulings against them, safeguarding the rights of deceased employees’ heirs, and ensuring that the period of absence was counted as part of actual service.
The Syrian Future Movement had previously issued:
- A statement on “Reinstating Employees Dismissed from the Syrian Petroleum Company” (dated February 24, 2026), in which the movement stressed the necessity of guaranteeing full compensation for the years of dismissal, including outstanding wages, promotions, retirement benefits, and moral damages.
- The statement issued by the Ministry of Energy, dated February 10, 2026, called for the swift and transparent reinstatement of all dismissed employees, ensuring no administrative delays.
The Syrian Future Movement highly values Decree No. 67 of 2026 and commends the active role of labor unions in advocating for workers’ demands. It also praises the transparency demonstrated by the relevant ministries in discussing these matters.
Furthermore, we urge the government to develop a comprehensive legislative framework for managing the wage system. Achieving fair wages cannot be accomplished through individual efforts, however significant, but requires an institutional framework. The Syrian Future Movement believes it is essential to enact a comprehensive wage and salary system concurrently with the issuance of the new Civil Service Law. This system should automatically link periodic annual increases to inflation and cost-of-living indicators, as well as to employee performance, thereby incentivizing productivity, instead of relying on arbitrary measures.
The Syrian Future Movement urges the swift issuance of the comprehensive decree for the reinstatement of dismissed employees, currently under review by the Central Committee. We demand that the reinstatement be inclusive of all those unjustly dismissed, with the period of absence counted as actual service and their full financial rights guaranteed.
We also call for expanding electronic registration mechanisms to encompass all ministries and public entities, ensuring that no dismissed employee is excluded due to administrative or bureaucratic obstacles.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for the activation of joint inspection committees comprised of representatives from unions and government agencies, enabling unions to be genuine partners in policy-making.
We warn that continued administrative obstacles or delays in resolving the cases of dismissed employees could threaten social stability and erode trust in state institutions.
In conclusion, the Syrian Future Movement believes that the progress achieved thus far represents a promising start to a new phase in the relationship between the state and its workers.
However, the road ahead remains long in completing the process of building a new Syria worthy of the victims and martyrs of freedom.
We will continue to pursue this matter diligently and will issue periodic reports on the government’s commitment to implementing these demands. In conclusion, we hope the government will prove its seriousness.
It is important to address the population’s crises by providing decent wages and broad social security, and for this step to be a real beginning to turn the page on marginalization and injustice.
