The Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) in northwestern Syria has deducted 50% of its employees’ salaries without providing reasons, causing discontent among employees who are struggling to secure their basic needs.
Correspondents for Enab Baladi in Idlib reported that all employees working in the institutions affiliated with the Salvation Government were surprised when their salaries for the month of September were transferred, with half of the salary withheld, without any official explanation from the government.
Unknown reasons
The Salvation Government delivered its employees’ salaries without clarifying the reasons for this step, opening the door to many speculations.
Enab Baladi contacted the government to inquire about the reasons behind the 50% salary deduction for its employees, but it declined to comment on the matter.
In a survey conducted by Enab Baladi among several employees, some considered that the reasons for salary reductions were due to a financial crisis affecting the region, which reflected on the resources of the Salvation Government and its affiliated ministries, resulting in an inability to secure salaries.
Others mentioned, according to what they heard from administrators in the Salvation Government, that the annual salary block has ended, so employees will receive half of their salary for the next three months, and that the situation will return to normal with the start of the new year.
Meanwhile, rumors have circulated regarding the allocation of cash resources by the Salvation Government for preparations for an anticipated military operation against the Syrian regime.
The al-Fath al-Mubin Operations Room, active in Idlib and the neighboring Aleppo and Hama countryside, announced in a statement via its Telegram account on October 12, its readiness for any developments or escalations in the northwestern Syrian region.
The Salvation Government is considered an administrative arm of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which holds influence in Idlib and the countryside of Aleppo and Hama.
Discontent
Ghassan (38 years old), an employee in the Ministry of Local Administration under the Salvation Government, stated that deducting half of the salary without prior notice is unfair. An employee may have financial obligations such as debts to vendors or paying rent; thus, the employee finds themselves in a predicament. If they had been informed in advance, they could have organized their finances and economized on spending, or borrowed money from friends beforehand.
Ghassan added, in an interview with Enab Baladi, that the vast majority of employees work another job to meet their basic needs.
Enab Baladi contacted five other employees working in different ministries under the Salvation Government, and they expressed their dissatisfaction with the deduction of half their salaries, considering that the timing of the deduction caused a financial crisis for them, especially with winter approaching and needing funds for heating supplies, after they painstakingly managed to secure school supplies for their children last month.
The problems faced by employees are not limited to securing living essentials; they are also confronted with another issue regarding how to pay their rent.
What is the average salary?
The average salary in the Salvation Government is around 125 US dollars, while the average House rent in Idlib exceeds 75 dollars.
Salaries vary from one employee to another depending on the workplace, family status of the employee, seniority in the job, and educational attainment. Generally, government salaries start from 80 dollars, with an additional five dollars for a wife and 2.5 dollars for each child.
Regarding the mechanism of salary payment, an Enab Baladi correspondent in Idlib mentioned that salaries are sent to the employee’s account through the “Cash” application. The employee then goes to one of the money exchangers contracted with the Salvation Government, converting their salary to cash from the exchanger.
The overall price level in northern Syria is experiencing repeated increases affecting all life necessities and basic food items, weakening the purchasing power of the population in general.
The last time the Salvation Government raised the salaries of its employees was on January 29, 2023, when it decided to increase the monthly wages and salaries of all employees by 25%.
At that time, the Salvation Government stated that the decision aimed to increase individual income in line with the living conditions in the region.
The decision includes a raise in salaries and wages for both permanent and temporary workers, irrespective of the duration of their contracts signed with the Salvation Government, while public entities with specific financial systems are excluded from the decision.
Simultaneously with the salary increase decision, the Salvation Government issued a decision to increase the working days per week from five days to six, designating Friday as the only day off.