Head of Public Secondary School Education Teachers Association Hanna Gharib noted that the salary scale, which was signed by President Sleiman on Friday and referred to Parliament for approval, " is riddled with problems and amendments we cannot accept".

"The draft law does not allocate funds for salary increases and stipulates its implementation to a ceiling they want to keep on budget deficit," he told 'The Daily Star' newspaper.

Gharib said amendments rejected by the union include a 9.75 percent reduction on the overall value of the wage hike and the payment of raises in installments over four years.

The union also rejects a reform plan attached to the bill that conditions raises to increasing the working hours of public servants, he added.