The intention of the strike was transmitted by the coordinator of the joint commission representing Prodel workers, Fernando Pedrão Romão, who criticized the "abysmal" difference in salaries between managers and technicians at the company.
"What we are asking for is not a salary increase, but a balance between managers and technicians, there is an abysmal difference in terms of salaries, it is only in the last level of manager in our company that the salary can pay an average technician and higher and there are still 30,000 kwanzas left", he said in statements to Lusa.
According to the union leader, the increase in the salary mass of around 19.2 percent was agreed with the employers in a "joint and consensual meeting" on December 20, 2021, but in a meeting on February 24, the board of directors " did not recognize the agreement.
"But, on the other hand, we have seen that the board of directors is evading assuming the responsibilities it has agreed upon. It was he who assumed that he would comply, even if it was retroactive, and he could also exceed our expectations in relation to the salary scale", he stressed.
The current position of the employer, highlighted Fernando Pedrão Romão, is leaving Prodel workers "completely worn out and angry".
"We are waiting for the salary for the month of March and if it does not come into effect, according to the agreements, we will convene a workers' assembly to then decide on the declaration of the strike in this month of March", he said.
The trade unionist emphasizes that the intention of the strike "is serious" and everything depends on the employers: "This time there will be no more contemplations, we have been negotiating for a long time and, in fact, we are tired and we no longer have the morals to negotiate".
"We are prepared for the strike with the motto 'whoever tries to retreat, grab the rope and hang on', so the matter is serious and we already have another alternative because the employers accepted in the minutes starting from the base with an increase in the order of 19.2 percent", he shot.
Fernando Pedrão Romão also denounced that the employer "does not pay overtime" and "inverts them on time off, violating the General Labor Law".
The claim of workers at the Angolan public electricity distribution company, said the unionist, has already been sent to the President, João Lourenço, to the office of the Minister of Energy and Water, to the company's board of directors, the unions, the parliament and the Ombudsman of Justice.
