LU’s 72,000 students and 3,000 teachers on strike for the third week

December 2003

BEIRUT - Students and teachers at the Lebanese University (LU) at the Lebanese University went on an open strike on Nov. 17 that was still open by the beginning of December, the date of sending these lines to print.

Teachers demand that the government stop its political intervention in the university affairs through restoring the prerogatives of the LU council. They also demand that the state stop slashing funds by 10 percent annually. In 2003, the LU budget stood at LL135 billion ($90million), whose 96 percent were consumed by the wages of faculty and staff.

Teachers in particular demand that the government cover a LL2.3 billion ($1.5 million) at the LU Teachers’ Mutual Fund for the year 2003. The fund incurred a deficit after the Finance Ministry refused to pay all of its LL14.7 billion as was allocated by Parliament in January 2003.

The LU crisis is expected to develop with Lebanese officials turning their deaf ear to the LU teachers and students. Teachers sponsored more than one protest earlier in November.