Libyan Public School Teachers Continue Strike Over Pay and Conditions

Public school teachers in Libya are continuing a strike over pay and working conditions, disrupting classes just weeks after the start of the 2026–2027 academic year.

Teachers demonstrated outside a school in Tripoli for a third consecutive week, holding signs that called for higher salaries and equal pay across the public sector.

Teachers set out demands

The General Union of Teachers of Libya is calling for a review of the unified pay scale. Teachers have also demanded outstanding payments under Law Number Four, classroom allowances, benefits for school principals and administrative staff, and health insurance for teachers and their families.

The union is additionally seeking improved conditions for contract workers. Teachers say rising inflation has made the pay scale and household living conditions increasingly important issues.

Achraf Abou Raoui, a spokesperson for the General Union of Teachers of Libya, said an overhaul of the unified pay scale should promote social justice and decent living conditions while avoiding ad hoc salary increases.

“From school closures to a general strike, the teachers’ movement has passed the point of no return. Promises are no longer enough,” Abou Raoui said, calling for tangible action and concrete measures.

Impact on schools

The strike followed school closures and is affecting classes in public schools. The Ministry of Education is monitoring the impact on schools.

The education minister has stressed the need to protect students’ rights and maintain continuity in their studies. The supplied information does not detail any specific government measures addressing the teachers’ demands.

The dispute is taking place as the General Teachers’ Union was electing a new president. Ramadan Mohammed Ramadan Al-Maqtouf was announced as the winner of that presidential election.