Libyan teachers’ strike escalates as union demands major education reforms
Teachers in Libya have launched an open-ended nationwide strike to protest declining salaries, unpaid arrears, and poor working conditions. The strike has halted the school year and is drawing support from other labor unions amid a broader cost-of-living crisis.
Why it matters
The strike highlights the ongoing economic instability and governance challenges in a post-Gaddafi Libya.
School year is on hold with teachers on strike and other unions threatening to take action.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Teachers protest for higher salaries and better working conditions at a school in Tripoli on September 29, 2026 [Mahmud Turkia/AFP] By Reuters Published On 5 Oct 2026 5 Oct 2026 Teachers in Libya have escalated their protests over salaries into an open-ended strike at public schools.
Protests began on September 13, the day the school year was due to start. Sit-ins were held outside schools and government buildings in the capital, Tripoli.
Two weeks later, Libya’s teachers union stepped up the campaign with a nationwide strike. It has kept students out of classrooms across the country.
On Sunday, several Libyan unions representing other sectors threatened to join the strike unless the government entered talks to address a cost of living crisis .
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