Public sector education unions announced a nationwide strike set to begin Friday morning, April 11, citing mounting frustration over delayed wage payments and unfulfilled government promises. The action will see educators across public secondary schools, technical institutes, teacher training centers, and regional education departments refrain from work until all due payments are made.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, the unions warned that the worsening economic crisis has made it nearly impossible for teachers, both full-time and contractual, to continue fulfilling their duties.
“Day by day, the living crisis is worsening for teachers and educators. They are no longer able to attend work or carry out their responsibilities amid the delays and procrastination in the payment of their rightful dues,” the statement added.
Furthermore, the unions criticized the government for failing to implement a decree passed by the cabinet that was supposed to authorize the payment of overdue salaries and bonuses.
“The decree remains ink on paper,” they stated.
According to the unions, a recent meeting with the Education Minister, Rima Karami, included a promise to release all outstanding payments, including salary differences, perseverance bonuses for full-time staff, and updated hourly wages for contractual teachers, before the Easter holiday. A ministry statement had reinforced this pledge, with an expectation that the decree would be issued on Thursday, April 10, followed by a week-long disbursement process. However, the deadline passed without action.
“We waited eagerly, despite having reservations about some provisions in the decree. Yet, it was never issued,” the unions stated.
They concluded, "If the government fails to fulfill its own commitments, it is unrealistic to expect that payments will be made on time."
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