Teachers Move Ahead with Strike

Teachers in private and public schools carried out their strike on Wednesday protesting the “humiliating” deal that was made between the General Labor Confederation (GLC), the cabinet and the Economic Committees last week.

However, private schools refused to close their doors.

“Even if dialogue started late it’s better than nothing, but discussions didn't reach a result,” Head of the Teachers Syndicate Nehme Mahfoud stressed after meeting with PM Najib Miqati on Wednesday.

He stressed that the teachers will continue with their strike.

“We are keen to preserve our students’ interests,” Mahfoud told MTV television station earlier on Wednesday.

He urged parents not to send their children to schools in order to avoid confusion.

The teachers will hold a sit-in at 11:00 am near the Grand Serail.

The teachers association held a meeting on Tuesday to confirm its strike, voicing its rejection to the exclusion from the negotiations that took place between the Cabinet and GLC.

Mahfoud stressed in a statement during a press conference that the upcoming steps will be announced during the associations’ conference on October 30, criticizing Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s delay in setting a meeting for the association after they requested it around 10 days ago.

The cabinet raised the LL500,000 minimum salary to LL700,000, approving to give those who earn less than 1 million a LL200,000 raise. Those earning between LL1 million and LL1.8 million would get a LL300,000 increase.

However, some private schools and the Catholic schools refused to close their doors as announced by their General-Secretary father Marwan Tabet.

The parents committees at Catholic schools also rejected the teachers strike because “subsequently the parents will have to take the burden,” which will lead to a decrease of the students number in private schools.”