Hundreds of Moroccan teachers protest in sixth week of strike

In the sixth consecutive week of their strike, the teachers are demanding job security and the full civil service benefits granted to those employed by the education ministry. These include better pensions and the right to move to work in other regions.

Education Minister Said Amzazi has threatened to fire the teachers if they do not resume teaching, saying the strike has affected 7 percent of Morocco’s 7 million students.

Last month, baton-wielding riot police used water cannons to disperse teachers protesting for better conditions in the Moroccan capital. 

The teachers on temporary contracts, who have been on strike since March 3, enjoy the same salaries as their permanent colleagues - 5,000 dirhams ($520) a month. But they complain they do not enjoy the same rights, especially concerning retirement.

February also saw protests - exactly eight years after thousands took to the streets in a series of protests inspired by the Arab Spring. Teachers' unions held a protest outside the Education Ministry and tried to walk up an alley toward the nearby royal palace, prompting a crackdown in which police charged and beat protesters.

Morocco, which avoided the turmoil seen by other countries during and after the Arab Spring of 2011, regularly sees protests though they mostly occur without physical confrontation.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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