Libya teachers threaten wider strike over pay

Public school teachers in Tripoli and other Libyan cities protested on Thursday to demand higher salaries from Libya's Tripoli-based government, threatening a wider strike if their demands are not met.

Thousands of teachers are already in the third week of a strike demanding better working conditions, disrupting the start of the school year.

The protesting teachers said they could begin a general, open-ended strike including the private school sector on Sunday if promises made by the education ministry remain unfulfilled. Their demands include higher salaries, health insurance and overtime compensation.

UNICEF says education receives the largest share of Libya's national budget, but public-sector teachers have long expressed discontent with their working conditions.

Libya has faced violence and instability since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It remains divided between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.