Bolivian Teachers Strike Demands Wage Reforms and Decree Repeals

The Confederation of Urban Education Workers of Bolivia (CTEUB), representing public and municipal school unions, conducted a 24-hour nationwide strike on Friday. The action suspended classes in state-run and state-contracted schools and included marches across nine departmental administrative centers. The union's primary demands center on a revised compensation system to offset inflation, the creation of new staff positions (ítems), and the resolution of a long-standing deficit in working hours. CTEUB leadership asserts that a practical freeze on wages has resulted in a decline in real income for educators. Beyond sectoral issues, the protesters called for the repeal of two government decrees: Decree No. 5716, which regulates diesel fuel costs, and Decree No. 5750, regarding electricity tariff increases. The union argues these measures have driven up the general cost of living.