Teachers Reject Token Raises, Demand Real Reforms
2/17/2026 3:35:00 PM
The Teachers’ Syndicate issued a statement expressing full support for all public sector employees seeking to recover at least 50% of their pre-2019 salaries, describing the demands as “legitimate and fair” given the financial collapse that has eroded purchasing power.
The syndicate, representing private-sector teachers, noted that many of their colleagues have not even received half of their previous salaries, particularly in schools outside Beirut, where living costs are higher. It warned, however, against “patchwork policies that grant symbolic increases, only to have their value offset by new taxes and fees, placing the burden on citizens.”
The statement emphasized that any serious salary reform must be accompanied by genuine administrative reform and a careful restructuring of the public sector, restoring state authority over its territory and resources, curbing militia control and encroachments, strengthening border and customs enforcement, and ensuring that the tax burden falls on large companies rather than ordinary citizens.
The syndicate concluded that restoring public trust requires “radical reforms that establish real social justice and respect for the dignity of Lebanese workers.”
The syndicate, representing private-sector teachers, noted that many of their colleagues have not even received half of their previous salaries, particularly in schools outside Beirut, where living costs are higher. It warned, however, against “patchwork policies that grant symbolic increases, only to have their value offset by new taxes and fees, placing the burden on citizens.”
The statement emphasized that any serious salary reform must be accompanied by genuine administrative reform and a careful restructuring of the public sector, restoring state authority over its territory and resources, curbing militia control and encroachments, strengthening border and customs enforcement, and ensuring that the tax burden falls on large companies rather than ordinary citizens.
The syndicate concluded that restoring public trust requires “radical reforms that establish real social justice and respect for the dignity of Lebanese workers.”