Warning that rising prices could erode the increase
LIBYA – Saqr Al-Jibani, an economics professor at the University of Derna, said the salary scale issued by Abdulhamid Dbeibah’s government does not meet teachers’ needs, warning that wage increases could be eroded by rising prices and put additional pressure on the public budget.
73bn dinars on salaries against 136bn in revenue
In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Jibani said salaries absorbed about 73 billion dinars last year out of revenue of 136 billion dinars, according to Central Bank of Libya data, noting that almost half of all revenue goes on wages.
600,000 employees in education
He said the education sector employs nearly 600,000 people, about a quarter of the government workforce, which gives the teachers’ union the strength to sustain its action, as happened during the strike action of 2019 and 2020. He argued that meeting teachers’ demands could encourage other sectors to seek similar treatment.
10% rise and average pay of 1,800–2,000 dinars
Al-Jibani described the government’s scale as disappointing because it includes an increase of only 10%, while the average monthly salary for most teachers ranges between 1,800 and 2,000 dinars — an amount he said is not enough to cover the needs of a family of four.
