The campus of the Lebanese University in Hadath. (Credit: LU's archives)
The contract professors committee at the Lebanese University (LU) on Sunday called for a week-long general strike starting on Monday, according to a statement relayed by the official National News Agency (NNA).
The LU press office reported that classes would be held normally in all departments and branches of the public higher education institution, noting that "no statement was issued by the full-time teachers' union."
The contract teachers intend to put pressure on LU's management to authorize teachers to hold another job, who are not sufficiently remunerated to be able to comply with having only their teaching job.
Salaries in the civil service — administration and institutions — have yet to be adjusted to compensate for the collapse of the Lebanese pound, a consequence of the crisis that erupted in 2019. This makes their situation even more difficult.
The committee is calling for an increase in salaries and transport allowances. It also calls on "all contract teachers to take part in the sit-in to be held in front of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education at 11 a.m. next Tuesday."
This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour.