Libya's teachers go on strike to protest country's worsening economy

TRIPOLI, Libya – A Libyan official says a three-day teachers' strike to protest worsening economy and demand a pay increase has shut down 95 percent of the schools in the capital, Tripoli, and elsewhere in the country.

The education ministry official says the strike is expected to end on Thursday. He provided no details on whether the teachers' demands had been met. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.

The ministry spokesman, Samer Gernaz, says Libya's more than half a million teachers are among the lowest-paid state employees.

Earlier this week, striking teachers in the western city of Zawiya briefly blocked an oil refinery to make their demands heard.

Libya is struggling to recover economically following the civil war that ousted Moammar Gadhafi.