UPDATE 1-Lebanese central bank workers, on strike, to decide next step Tuesday

Employees of the Lebanese central bank, who went on strike on Monday over state budget proposals that would cut their benefits, will decide their next step at a meeting on Tuesday, the head of their syndicate Abbas Awada said.

In an interview with the Lebanese broadcaster al-Jadeed, Awada said "a positive decision" may be taken to "facilitate matters" but added that if the government approved the budget in its existing form "we will proceed in an open strike". The Beirut stock exchange said it suspended trading on Monday until further notice because clearance and settlement processes could not be carried out on time during the strike.

Awada said there had been negative effects and pressure "on the market, on the governor of the central bank, and on all Lebanese", so "we might have a little positivity to relieve the matter". He said central bank governor Riad Salameh opposed the strike action and had asked for it to be lifted.

The draft budget has proposed annulling performance-linked bonuses paid in some state-run institutions including the central bank. In some cases, these have amounted to several months extra salary a year. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Toby Chopra and Hugh Lawson)