Workers’ union demands accountability for abuses against teachers
LIBYA – The National Union of Libyan Workers has condemned what it described as security practices and abuses against teachers during their peaceful protest in the capital, Tripoli, on Monday 9 November 2026, calling for an investigation into the incident and for anyone found responsible for any assault to be held to account, and declaring its full solidarity with the General Teachers’ Union and all teachers.
In a statement from its executive office titled “Condemnation, Denunciation and Union Solidarity”, the union said respect for human dignity and the protection of people’s rights and freedoms were not a gift from the authorities but a legal and national obligation, and that peaceful protest to claim rights should be met not with restrictions or force but with listening, dialogue and taking responsibility.
Condemnation of the security response to the teachers’ protest
The union strongly condemned what it said were security practices during the protest, including restrictions on the protesters and the use of force against them, describing this as a violation of their right to peaceful expression and to pursue their legitimate rights.
It said what happened should not be treated as a passing incident but was, in its assessment, a serious indicator of how labour and union demands were being handled, requiring a responsible national and legal stance free of justification or complacency.
It stressed that teachers’ demands should be answered not with security measures but with serious and responsible engagement, and held the government and executive authorities responsible for teachers’ continued hardship caused by delays in settling their entitlements and their employment, financial and professional rights.
Six demands: solidarity, an investigation and a response
The union declared its full solidarity with the General Teachers’ Union and all teachers, and its support for their legitimate demands and just rights.
It also explicitly condemned any abuse or assault against those taking part in the protest, and held the security bodies concerned responsible for what happened, according to its statement.
It called for a serious and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the incident and for anyone found responsible for any abuse to be held to account in accordance with the law.
It urged the government and executive authorities to shoulder their responsibilities in addressing teachers’ conditions and responding to their demands without procrastination or delay.
It affirmed that peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins are a fundamental right guaranteed by laws and charters, which may not be confiscated or curtailed.
It also called for serious and responsible dialogue between the government and the General Teachers’ Union to reach practical and fair solutions that preserve teachers’ dignity and protect their rights.
Call for unity in the union movement
The union said teachers were nobody’s adversary but a key partner in building the state and shaping the future of generations, arguing that turning claims for rights into a security confrontation deepens tension rather than containing it.
It added that union solidarity was not a token stance or a passing statement but a firm commitment to workers who suffer injustice or whose rights are curtailed, and that the unity of the Libyan union movement required standing as one against anything that undermines workers’ dignity and union freedoms.
The statement concluded: “The teacher’s dignity is a red line, rights are not confiscated by force, and the free union voice will not be silenced by restrictions.”
