On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, teachers throughout Algeria went on strike in protest of low salaries and deteriorating working conditions.
Prior to the teachers’ two-day strike, students staged a rare demonstration witnessed in Algeria, a North African country where the rights of most people are suppressed by the government.
A long-time Algerian trade unionist, Hafidha Amireche, defended the strike of the teachers, saying, “a right enshrined in the constitution.”
Algeria has a free education system, yet more investment is being made in the military than in the education sector, causing dissatisfaction amongst educators.
To address economic malaise, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has raised wages throughout his time in office, including for public sector workers like teachers, who saw their salaries go up by 37% during his first term.
But teachers’ unions say starting salaries were barely more than the minimum wage or unemployment stipends and are hoping for more increases.
