Unions admit strike for not being heard in relation to minimum wage increase

The decision of the Central General of Independent and Free Trade Unions of Angola (CGSILA), the National Union of Angolan Workers – Trade Union Confederation (UNTA-CS) and Força Sindical was presented at the end of a consultation meeting.

"As we were not heard, we have just prepared and today we will file our protest with the President of the Republic so that, within a reasonable time, the PR and its executive can comment on the matter, this is our position", said the secretary- General of CGSILA, Francisco Jacinto.

The trade unionist regretted the fact that the Government had approved the increase in the national minimum wage and the adjustment of civil service salaries "without calling and inviting the unions for a discussion and in-depth approach" on the subject.

For Francisco Jacinto, if the authorities requested the opinion of the union centrals, the parties "would reach a consensus in relation to the percentage value that could affect the increase of the national minimum wage".

"The Angolan trade union centrals refuse and do not include themselves in the position that the Government took, they are not bound by the position that the Government took, because this measure taken, in addition to being unilateral, the value does not correspond to the loss of purchasing power that verified over the years", said the unionist at a press conference.

The Council of Ministers approved, on Tuesday, the proposal to increase the national minimum wage in the private sector in the order of 50 percent.

The decision was announced by the Minister of Public Administration, Labor and Social Security (MAPTSS), Teresa Dias, according to which, prior to the decision, work was carried out by a technical group, made up of the Government and social partners, including the main trade union forces. from the country.

Teresa Dias said that this study made it possible to find a balance between the two groups, reaching the conclusion that there should be an impact of the national minimum wage in the order of 50 percent.

"Then it was perfectly agreed between the parties, that, whether in the various sectors, agriculture, as an example, we would go from 21,454 kwanzas to 32,181.15 kwanzas, we would pass, in transport, services and manufacturing industry, with a minimum wage of 26,817 kwanzas to 40,226.00 kwanzas, in commerce and industry from 32,000 kwanzas to 48,271 kwanzas", said the minister.

The CGSILA leader considered, on the other hand, that the values ​​approved by the Government "will not solve the workers' problems, because regardless of the value we have to present, we also want to discuss other collateral measures".

A national minimum wage of no less than 100,000 kwanzas, to meet the prices of basic food products, is the proposal of the three union forces, as mentioned by the secretary general of UNTA-CS, José Joaquim Laurindo.

The UNTA-CS official said he was "absolutely certain" that the protest note will receive a response from President João Lourenço, not ruling out, however, other fighting actions such as "general strike or demonstrations" if there is no agreement.

"We went to the highest representative in the country with this request and if it doesn't happen, we will trigger what is peculiar in the union movement, strikes and sometimes it can even go to demonstrations are some weapons that we have ahead if we are not reciprocated" , pointed out.

A tripartite technical commission, government, unions and employers, which included union technicians and "was working on the study of the evolution" of the national minimum wage: "This study ended, so we were not heard anymore", shot José Joaquim Laurindo .

Francisco Jacinto also referred to the speech about the lack of money for a "real increase" in salaries in Angola "is a false alarm", because for years the country "has created many rich" and "as a consequence we have a miserable population".