Libyan teachers protest in Tripoli amid nationwide strike over pay

Libyan teachers staged a protest Thursday outside the government headquarters in Tripoli amid a nationwide strike over salaries and working conditions, the official WAL news agency reported.

A large number of teachers from educational institutions gathered outside the prime minister’s headquarters, carrying banners demanding a unified and improved salary scale, payment of overdue financial entitlements and implementation of legislation protecting their rights.

In a statement during the protest, organizers said they were not seeking “privileges,” but demanding the rights of teachers and other education workers, and seeking to preserve the dignity of the teaching profession.

Protesters also demanded health insurance and improvements to their employment and financial conditions, saying their demands had remained unfulfilled despite repeated promises and meetings.

They urged the government to move from discussions and promises to concrete decisions and implementation.

Organizers warned that union action could be escalated if authorities failed to take practical steps to address demands.

Teachers began sit-ins Sept. 13, when the new academic year was due to start, before the campaign later escalated into an open-ended nationwide strike at public schools, disrupting the start of the school year.