BEIRUT: UNICEF Thursday urged remuneration of thousands of contracted teachers in Lebanon, given that many have faced drastic cuts to their salaries in the past 18 months.
UNICEF is aware of the tough situation that public schools contracted teachers are facing with regard to the payment of outstanding salaries, the organization said in a statement.
The agency additionally stated that it would be advocating for the remaining dues to be paid and called for the ongoing process to be expedited to the best interest of the teachers and the children.
Teachers in Lebanons public and private education sectors have been protesting for years. Some want to be given long-term contracts and the associated benefits, while others have been protesting for delayed or higher wages.
One of the largest teachers strikes in Lebanon occurred late November 2008, when tens of thousands of public and private school educators, along with professors from the state-run Lebanese University, gathered outside Parliament to demand higher wages and to protest an unfair pay and benefits package.
Historically, many union and syndicate-led protests have been negatively affected by political divisions, with sectarian alliances influencing the level of participation.
With the onset of the Oct.17, 2019 uprising, however, signs of politicization began to diminish.
In early 2019, members of the Association of Public Secondary School Teachers in a number of Lebanese towns went on strike to protest late salaries for teachers and demand their inclusion in the salary-scale law. The committee of contracted secondary public school teachers also joined the strike, demanding their delayed wages and full-time employment.
The strikes came in the midst of a steep economic collapse which has exacerbated workers' struggles across the board in Lebanon.
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