Tunisia suspends salary payments for 17,000 teachers over protests

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia has suspended salary payments for 17,000 teachers and sacked 350 school principals over protests demanding an increase in pay, authorities said on Monday.

The salary suspensions could affect about 30% of the country's primary school teachers, and will escalate the conflict with the powerful UGTT union at a time when the North African country's citizens grapple with a dire economic crisis.