DPA) -- Lebanon's Federation of Labour Unions (CGTL) Saturday called for a sit-in outside the Finance Ministry next week in protest at the government's economic reform plan.

The plan was approved by the government earlier this week in preparation for an international donors' conference in Paris starting on January 25 to help Lebanon's bid to clear its 41-billion-dollar debt resulting from the huge reconstruction process after the 1975- 1990 civil war.

The unions said such a plan will increase taxes and cause lay offs.

Speaking to reporters, CGTL leader Ghassan Ghosn said, "We call on all workers and all those who reject the economic reform plan adopted by the government ... to take part in a sit-in protest Tuesday in front of the finance ministry."

He added, "We totally reject any rise in taxes, direct or indirect, as well as any privatization that could lead to lay offs in the public sector."

CGTL's protest coincides with an opposition protest led by the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement and its Christian allies, who have been camping out near the government palace for 35 days calling for a national unity government.

The goverment plan aims to boost investment through social and financial reforms, raise the Value Added Tax from 10 to 12 per cent, and privatize the mobile telephone and electricity sectors.

The government, headed by Prime Minister Seniora, which is not recognized by pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud or parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, appealed for unity last week.

The pro-Syrian opposition is demanding a greater share in the government, which consists mostly anti-Syrian officials.

Lebanon is expected to seek the writing off some of the debt and attempt to gain long-term financial assistance recovering from the 33-day Israel-Hezbollah conflict last July that caused more than 3.6 billion dollars worth of damage.

In August 2006, donor nations pledged 940 million dollars in emergency aid to help rebuild the infrastructure, shelter the homeless and remove unexploded ordnance.

The Paris 3 conference was initially expected to take place in December, but has been repeatedly delayed due to internal political disputes in Lebanon.

It is the third time that the French capital has hosted an aid conference to help Lebanon since 2001 when the Paris 1 conference raised 500 million euros.

More than 18 countries, in addition to international institutions, attended the Paris 2 conference which raised 2.6 billion dollars in 2002.

Oil-rich Arab states which back the Seniora government, like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, will take part in the conference as well.