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Tens of thousands of teachers including EI’s affiliates the Syndicate of Private School Teachers (TSL) and the League of Public Secondary Teachers (LPESPL), went on strike across Lebanon on December 15. They are threatening to widen the action if the government fails to improve its planned wage increase.

In the capital, Beirut, both private and public schools’ teachers marched together independent of political affiliation. This stresses the unity and independence of the organising body, the Teachers Unions Coordination Committee.

Demonstrators’ anti-Government banners and slogans detailed their grievances: “Leaders, Government: teachers’ situation is shameful! Rising inflation, high cost of living and an insulting raise! Why do you jeopardise education’s future?”, teachers chanted.

Hanna Gharib, head of the LPESPL, explained the reasons for the action: “We demonstrate today to condemn Government’s decision and hold accountable those who issued it. We ask them to reconsider this decision against us and against the Lebanese people.”

“The fate of this decision won’t be better than the previous one. We will torpedo the second one just like we did with the first one, relying on our union unity,” Gharib went on saying, referring to a previous wage increase approved by the government in October. The Teachers Union Coordination Committee opposed that measure, later rejected by the Shura Council of Lebanon.

“Our salaries have been eroded by more than 80 percent since 1996. We are simply demanding part of the purchasing power of teachers’ salaries be restored,” stated one of the demonstrators, a Sociology teacher who was not deterred by the long journey to Beirut from a Southern village.

Echoing this, trade union leader Gharib called for increasing salaries by what the teachers unions proposed and that is increase in percentages on the divisions of the salaries: “‘ Yes’ for equality, justice and non-discrimination that eliminates disagreement between the staff, teachers and workers. ‘ No’ to allowed increases in cost of living, which have eroded the wage rise even before its introduction. ‘Yes’ to a salary raise that matches the level of inflation since 1996, which exceeds 100 percent.” In parallel, she called for improving health care for teachers and boosting education at public schools.

Nehme Mahfoud, head of the TSL, challenged the Government: “If these crowds mean nothing to the Government and the Prime Minister, then we believe this Government doesn’t represent the Lebanese people.”

Mahfoud also promised legal action against school principals whom he accused of threatening to fire striking teachers. He concluded: “Either the Prime Minister listens to these people’s suffering and resumes negotiations [over the salary raise] or else these crowds will be seen over and over in all Beirut streets.”