Image copyright Reuters Image caption Most of the protesters are on temporary contracts and are calling for better working conditions

Several thousand Moroccan teachers are staging a protest in the capital, Rabat, hours after police dispersed an earlier demonstration.

They are demanding permanent contracts, better working conditions, as well as protesting against the rising cost of living.

Earlier, police in riot gear used water cannon to end an overnight sit-in outside parliament by 15,000 teachers.

Protesters have turned down government proposals to end the dispute.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Police used a water cannon to disperse protesters

The teachers on temporary contracts, who are mostly in their 20s and 30s, have been staging regular strikes over recent weeks.

Two weeks ago, they staged sit-ins at regional academies in different cities.

They earn the same wages as their colleagues on permanent contracts - about 5,000 dirhams (£400) a month - but are demanding full benefits and pension rights.</s>AFP | A teacher faces off with security forces at a protest in Rabat on March 23.

About 10,000 teachers staged a new protest in the Moroccan capital Rabat on Sunday to demand permanent jobs, hours after police had used water cannon to disperse an overnight demonstration.

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The teachers, many of whom had spent the night in the streets of Rabat after the first event, marched from the education ministry to the square in front of parliament where police had intervened after midnight to prevent them from spending the night in the main Mohammed V Avenue.

They want an end to renewable contracts in favour of permanent jobs that offer civil service benefits, including a better retirement pension.

Some also shouted political slogans such as “This is a corrupt country” and “We are ruled by a mafia,” urging Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani and Education Minister Said Amzazi to step down.

#Morocco 🇲🇦: several thousands teachers and professors marched in the capital #Rabat tonight to protest the government's educational policies.



Social protests continue to take place more and more around the country as Moroccans are challenging government power. pic.twitter.com/vtyv3Hzwxb Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) March 24, 2019

Morocco, which has avoided the turmoil seen by other countries during and after the Arab Spring of 2011, regularly sees protests though they rarely draw several thousands or involve confrontations with police.

The protest was organised by an alliance of leftist opposition parties, main unions, civil society organisations and university students. The teachers have been striking for three weeks in a row.

The protesting teachers were threatened by the ministry to return to the classroom or be sacked.

“We are not intimidated by the threats of the education ministry’s because we came to claim our right to be integrated in the civil service and defend the public school,” Abdelilah Taloua, a young teacher, told Reuters.

About 55,000 teachers have been hired under the new contract system since 2016 out of 240,000 teachers in total.

The government insists that teachers working by contracts have the same starting salary of 5,000 dirhams (around $520) like regular teachers.

Morocco has come under pressure from international lenders to trim the civil service wage bill and strengthen the efficiency of the public sector.

(REUTERS)</s>RABAT (Reuters) - More than 10,000 Moroccan teachers staged a new protest in the capital Rabat on Sunday to demand better working conditions, a witness said, hours after police had dispersed an earlier demonstration with water cannon.

The teachers started marching peacefully from the education ministry in Rabat to the square in front of parliament where police had intervened earlier.

Police were present at the latest protest but did not take any action.</s>RABAT, Morocco — Several thousand Moroccan teachers have staged a protest in the capital Rabat, in the latest outbreak of anger at low-wage, temporary teaching contracts that do not cover health care or provide for pensions.

Sunday's march came the day after police used water cannon to disperse teachers trying to sleep outside in protest. The police violence heightened the teachers' anger after weeks of demonstrations.

Protesters marched Sunday across the streets of Rabat carrying posters demanding respect for their profession and higher wages.

It was part of a wave of protests by teachers from around the country, using Rabat as a gathering point to call out excessive use of temporary contracts without job protections.

Government spokesman Mustapha El Khalfi said protesters are pursuing "political goals unrelated to the interest of the professors."</s>Teachers protest for better work conditions in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday (Reuters photo)

RABAT — About 10,000 teachers staged a new protest in the Moroccan capital Rabat on Sunday to demand permanent jobs, hours after police had used water cannon to disperse an overnight demonstration.

The teachers, many of whom had spent the night in the streets of Rabat after the first event, marched from the education ministry to the square in front of Parliament where police had intervened after midnight to prevent them from spending the night in the main Mohammed V Avenue.

They want an end to renewable contracts in favour of permanent jobs that offer civil service benefits, including a better retirement pension.

Morocco, which has avoided the turmoil seen by other countries during and after the Arab Spring of 2011, regularly sees protests though they rarely draw several thousands or involve confrontations with police.

The protest was organised by an alliance of leftist opposition parties, main unions, civil society organisations and university students. The teachers have been striking for three weeks in a row.

The protesting teachers were threatened by the ministry to return to the classroom or be sacked.

“We are not intimidated by the threats of the education ministry’s because we came to claim our right to be integrated in the civil service and defend the public school,” Abdelilah Taloua, a young teacher, told Reuters.

About 55,000 teachers have been hired under the new contract system since 2016 out of 240,000 teachers in total.

The government insists that teachers working by contracts have the same starting salary of 5,000 dirhams (around $520) like regular teachers.

Morocco has come under pressure from international lenders to trim the civil service wage bill and strengthen the efficiency of the public sector.</s>Moroccan teachers hold banners as they protest in Rabat

Thousands of teachers in Morocco have staged a protest amid growing anger over low wages and temporary contracts.

Sunday's march in Rabat, Morocco's capital city, came a day after police used water cannon to disperse teachers who were sleeping outdoors in protest.

The teachers marched from the education ministry to the front of parliament - and demanded permanent contracts that deliver civil service benefits including a better retirement pension.

Some of them shouted slogans such as "this is a corrupt country" and "we are ruled by a mafia" - and urged Prime Minister Eddine El Othmani to resign.

The government insists that teachers on temporary contracts have the same starting salary as those employed permanently, which is about 5,000 dirhams (£395) a month.

However, many protesters are demanding that their monthly pay is raised by 1,500 dirhams (£118) per month.

The government has warned that teachers face the sack unless they return to the classroom.

But one young teacher, Abdelilah Taloua, told Reuters: "We are not intimidated by the threats of the education ministry's because we came to claim our right to be integrated in the civil service and defend the public school."

Teachers have been on strike since 3 March, holding demonstrations for the past three weeks in front of educational institutions across the country.</s>Police in Morocco's capital Rabat has used water cannons to disperse thousands of young teachers protesting for better work conditions.

Authorities early on Sunday were trying to end a rally of an estimated 15,000 teachers in front of parliament where they planned to spend the night ahead of an even bigger demonstration called by a coalition of leftist opposition parties, unions and civil society groups.

Policemen in anti-riot gear moved into action after negotiations between officers and teachers to ask protesters to leave the area broke down after several hours.

Authorities had offered to send buses to drive them to places where they could spend the night, teachers said.

They had been chanting "Liberty, dignity, social justice".

Some teachers said they were protesting against contracts on which they have been hired.

They are demanding full benefits and pensions like regular public servants.

Teachers across the country have been striking for three consecutive weeks.

Of the country's 240,000-strong teacher workforce, 55,000 have been hired since 2016 under a new contract system.

Morocco has come under pressure from international lenders to trim the civil service wage bill and strengthen the efficiency of the public sector.</s>Several thousand Moroccan teachers are staging a protest in the capital, Rabat, hours after police dispersed an earlier demonstration.

They are demanding permanent contracts, better working conditions, as well as protesting against the rising cost of living.

Earlier, police in riot gear used water cannon to end an overnight sit-in outside parliament by 15,000 teachers.

Protesters have turned down government proposals to end the dispute.

The teachers on temporary contracts, who are mostly in their 20s and 30s, have been staging regular strikes over recent weeks.

Two weeks ago, they staged sit-ins at regional academies in different cities.

They earn the same wages as their colleagues on permanent contracts - about 5,000 dirhams (£400) a month - but are demanding full benefits and pension rights.</s>RABAT (Reuters) - At least 15,000 teachers protested peacefully in the Moroccan capital Rabat late on Saturday to demand better working conditions, witnesses said.

Chanting “Liberty, dignity, social justice” the teachers gathered in front of parliament where they planned to spend the night ahead of a rally called by leftist opposition parties, unions and civil society organizations.

Police arrived with water cannon trucks but did not interfere immediately, negotiating with protesters to go home. Authorities offered to send busses to drive them home, some teachers said.

There was no comment from the police or the government.

The teachers were protesting against temporary contracts on which they have been hired. They are demanding full benefits and pensions like full-time public servants.</s>RABAT (Reuters) - About 10,000 teachers staged a new protest in the Moroccan capital Rabat on Sunday to demand permanent jobs, hours after police had used water cannon to disperse an overnight demonstration.

The teachers, many of whom had spent the night in the streets of Rabat after the first event, marched from the education ministry to the square in front of parliament where police had intervened after midnight to prevent them from spending the night in the main Mohammed V Avenue.

They want an end to renewable contracts in favour of permanent jobs that offer civil service benefits, including a better retirement pension.

Some also shouted political slogans such as "This is a corrupt country" and "We are ruled by a mafia," urging Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani and Education Minister Said Amzazi to step down.

Morocco, which has avoided the turmoil seen by other countries during and after the Arab Spring of 2011, regularly sees protests though they rarely draw several thousands or involve confrontations with police.

The protest was organised by an alliance of leftist opposition parties, main unions, civil society organisations and university students. The teachers have been striking for three weeks in a row.

The protesting teachers were threatened by the ministry to return to the classroom or be sacked.

"We are not intimidated by the threats of the education ministry's because we came to claim our right to be integrated in the civil service and defend the public school," Abdelilah Taloua, a young teacher, told Reuters.

About 55,000 teachers have been hired under the new contract system since 2016 out of 240,000 teachers in total.

The government insists that teachers working by contracts have the same starting salary of 5,000 dirhams (around $520) like regular teachers.

Morocco has come under pressure from international lenders to trim the civil service wage bill and strengthen the efficiency of the public sector.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

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Thousands of teachers gather in the capital of Rabat, Morocco to protest working conditions and wages.