Striking Tunisian teachers demand better pay

Thousands of Tunisian teachers rallied on Wednesday near the prime minister’s office to demand better work conditions and higher wages, in an escalation of their protests against the cash-strapped government.

The government is under pressure from international lenders to cut spending and reduce its large budget deficit but also faces public anger over high unemployment, especially among the young, and poverty.

In Al Kasbah square in central Tunis, the teachers chanted: “We want our rights” and “This is a pen revolution”, an indirect allusion to the first “Arab Spring” revolt that erupted in Tunisia in 2011 and overthrew autocrat Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Teachers have been boycotting exams for hundreds of thousands of pupils for almost two months, fuelling tensions and prompting anxious parents to organise their own demonstrations. The National Parents’ Association has called for a demonstration this week to protest against the plight of their children, saying they have become hostages in the dispute between the teachers’ union and the government.

The teachers’ union has asked for salary increases and a reduction in the retirement age, demands the government says are unfair and cannot be met.

The government is also in negotiations with the public sector union UGTT, which has threatened to hold a two-day strike if the government does not accept wage hikes for about 670,000 workers.

Tunisia’s economy has been in turmoil since the 2011 uprising, which was also sparked by anger over unemployment and poverty. The turmoil and a lack of reforms have deterred investment, forcing the government to implement austerity measures in return for IMF loans.