Since October 16, 2025, a strike of teachers and support staff in the education system is taking place across Mongolia. They are demanding the government raise their base salary to ₮3.5 million (approximately €840) and increase the education budget in 2026.
The Working Committee of the FPNM Coordinates the Strike
The organizer of the strike is the Federation of Trade Unions of Education and Science Workers of Mongolia (FPNM), which advocates for improving the living conditions of educators and increasing funding for public education.
To coordinate the strike actions across the country, the FPNM has established a working committee. It includes leadership, a legal advisor, and technical specialists, ensuring real-time information exchange with members and the public.
From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the union conducts online courses for consultations with its members and visits schools to establish union committees.
On October 21, 2025, FPNM President Tsogtgerel Zambal held a meeting with Finance Minister Javkhlan Bold, Minister of Family, Labor and Social Protection Aubakir Tileukhan, and Minister of Education Naranbayar Purevsuren to discuss the demands for salary increases for education workers.
The government proposed a phased salary increase for teachers from 2026 to 2028, with the ultimate goal of reaching ₮3.5 million by 2028. However, this suggests a salary increase of 15–20%, which would result in a basic salary increase of only ₮150–₮200 thousand (€36–€48). "We cannot agree to this proposal," noted Tsogtgerel Zambal. On October 22, 2025, Minister of Education Naranbayar Purevsuren suggested starting collective negotiations.
At the start of the strike in Ulaanbaatar, 18,837 teachers and educators from 83 secondary schools, 215 kindergartens, and 3 schools, totaling 331 educational institutions, joined the FPNM. Additionally, 3,308 teachers from the aimags of Orkhon, Sukhbaatar, Khovd, Bulgan, and Töv also supported the strike. Strike committees record the number of participants every two hours.
On October 17, 2025, 372 educational institutions joined the strike, including 85 secondary schools, 218 kindergartens, and 35 general education schools, with a total of 22,791 teachers and educators participating. Teachers from 10 regions, including Orkhon, Sukhbaatar, Khovd, Bulgan, Töv, Darkhan, Arkhangai, Dornogovi, Govisumber, and Khentii, also participated in the protest, totaling 2,919 participants from 35 schools and 31 kindergartens.
Since October 20, 2025, more than 558 educational institutions and about 30,000 education workers have joined the strike.
"We see that the number of schools and kindergartens supporting the strike is growing. We do not intend to stop the protests. The government's proposal has been rejected by the FPNM," noted union leader Tsogtgerel Zambal.
The national strike is the result of several days of peaceful sit-in protests by teachers and education workers in Ulaanbaatar, which attracted nationwide attention and garnered support from representatives of other sectors, such as railway workers, who also joined the protests. The FPNM had already voiced educators' demands at a meeting with government bodies on October 8, 2025, emphasizing the need for increased investment in education and support for teachers.
Tatar S.Maidar
source: MiddleAsianNews
