Protests began on September 13, the day the school year was due to start, with sit-ins outside schools and government buildings in the capital, Tripoli. Two weeks later, Libya's teachers union escalated the campaign into a nationwide strike, keeping students out of classrooms.
On Sunday, several Libyan unions representing other sectors threatened to join the strike unless the government entered talks to address the cost of living crisis, according to reports from Al Jazeera. The unions said a unified pay system should take into account changes in the cost of living and the fluctuating exchange rate between the Libyan dinar and the US dollar.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli has met with cabinet members to discuss a response to the crisis.
Teachers are demanding higher and unified wages, unpaid arrears, health insurance, and protection on and off school premises. Principal Muftah Khalifa told Al Jazeera Arabic that teachers were protesting against the government's failure to respond to their repeated demands. Educators have also reported problems ranging from a lack of computer labs to desks that are too dilapidated to use, with staff and parents often paying for equipment themselves.
The strikes are occurring on both sides of Libya's political divide: the western region governed by the GNU and the eastern region controlled by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar's self-described Libyan National Army. In April, rival legislative bodies from both sides agreed on a unified budget for the first time in more than a decade.
Retirees have also called for the implementation of previous agreements on pensions, and unions said no arbitrary or punitive measures should be taken against workers, retirees or union leaders.