Thousands of Romanian teachers take to the streets to demand higher pay and better working conditions. Schools across the country have been forced to close amid the strike - the first of its kind in the eastern European country since 2005. Romania's public sector has been facing a severe cost-of-living crisis as annual inflation has been hovering around 10 percent, with teachers especially struggling given their comparatively low wage. Newly-graduated teachers in Romania earn a net monthly wage of around 2,400 lei (480 euros), while the country's average pay per month is almost twice the amount. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES