Libyan teachers launch nationwide strike demanding unified pay and reforms
Teachers across Libya have begun an open-ended strike over low wages and poor school conditions, prompting other unions to threaten joining unless the government acts.
Libyan teachers escalated sit-ins that began on September 13 into a countrywide, open-ended strike, shutting public schools in both the GNU-controlled west and the eastern area held by Khalifa Haftar’s forces. They demand higher, unified wages, health insurance, and better school infrastructure, pointing to declining salaries, unpaid arrears and inadequate equipment. The teachers union urges the Ministry of Education not to reopen schools, warning of further escalation.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah convened a cabinet meeting with Finance Minister Rashid Boughofa to discuss a unified pay system, but implementation requires parliamentary approval. Other unions have threatened to join the strike unless the government tackles the broader cost-of-living crisis. The dispute highlights Libya’s ongoing economic and political instability since the 2011 uprising.
Why it matters
The strike threatens education continuity for Libyan students and reflects deeper economic and political challenges in the country.
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