Libya’s teachers hold firm on strike despite promises of pay

Libya’s teachers’ movement says its strike will go on until the government actually delivers, not just promises to. In a statement issued Wednesday, it made clear that announcements and reassurances mean nothing without results.

Teachers’ rights, the movement said, shouldn’t be a political football passed between ministries while people who’ve waited years for what they’re owed get nothing but vague promises. It’s demanding the Ministry of Education disclose exactly how many payment claims have come in from local education offices, how many have been approved, what’s still stuck in review, and why, with clear accountability for any delays.

It also wants the unified pay scale implemented so teachers’ salaries match other public and sovereign-sector employees, plus functioning health insurance and real enforcement of the teacher protection law, backed by firm commitments with actual deadlines, not just talk.

Responding to recent comments from the teachers’ union head about the salary arrears, the movement pushed back hard: show the numbers, show the paperwork, and name who’s actually responsible for the holdups, rather than vaguely blaming local education offices with nothing to back it up.

The movement insisted it isn’t targeting individuals, just demanding accountability and teachers’ rights. And a press statement, it said, doesn’t end a crisis; only payment does.

The standoff follows weeks of unrest since the school year began on 13 September, which escalated into a general strike on 27 September, with school attendance since then varying widely from place to place.

As the movement put it, a teacher’s dignity comes from decisions being carried out and dues being paid, not from statements. Until that happens, the strike stays on the table.