In statements to the Lusa agency, the secretary general of the union, Bernardo Miranda, said that the notebook was submitted on February 21, with a response period of 10 days.
According to the unionist, the company made a statement one day after the deadline, but "the answer that the Railroad presented does not substantiate the claim book, if not in some justifications".
"The company presents a series of arguments, that the claim book did not represent the will of the workers, so there is no reason to be, basically they did not respond, because responding to a claim book has to be in the same order as the points were placed", he underlined.
According to the union's general secretary, workers on the Luanda Railways live in very delicate situations, with the claim booklet having 16 points and as a first requirement insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases, "which is insurance of law, which the company does not have for workers".
Bernardo Miranda said that workers who suffer accidents at work do not have assistance and "by their own means they go to the services of the Josina Machel or Américo Boavida hospital for treatment".
"When the company should assume, given that this insurance is legal and the other claim has to do with injured workers, there are a number of workers who did not have adequate assistance, some with problems of occupational diseases, who live at their expense. without support, in extreme poverty, I speak, for example, of the case of workers affected by the incident of Zenza do Itombe, of the train that was attacked during the war, many of them can no longer work as a result of this situation", he stressed.
In the notebook, informed Bernardo Miranda, the lack of individual protection equipment is also claimed, stressing that, in short, the company does not provide workers with working conditions.
"And the work they do is very delicate, dealing with the railway line, the assembly and disassembly of the lines that are no longer in condition without any equipment," he said.
The implementation of the occupational qualifier is also included in the claim book presented, said the unionist, claiming the salary disparity in the same categories.
"There is that difficulty in terms of a professional career, workers over 20, 30 years old in the same category, when there are individuals who are now admitted at the mercy of the company's managers and are already beginning to enjoy a salary much higher than those who have been there for a long time. many years", he criticized.
The workers ask the company to solve the problem of the reform, with more than 10 employees in this condition at this time, some of which are over four years old, "because the company claims that it is unable to make social security deposits".
Bernardo Miranda said that a salary adjustment is also requested, as well as the payment of overtime and some subsidies, including travel.
"For example, travel allowances for train drivers who take the train from Luanda to Malanje are at zero cost, without food allowance, to be given to them at the end of the month. trip only at the end of the month", he lamented.
Last Saturday, a general assembly of workers was held, to present the answer to the claim book and approach the subsequent steps, said Bernardo Miranda, excusing himself for now to speak of a strike.
"We are in a negotiation phase and we will see what the subsequent steps are", said Bernardo Miranda, adding that the workers expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation.
In 2019, workers on the Luanda Railways carried out a strike lasting more than a month, during which they protested a salary increase and improved working conditions.
In that service stoppage, the Luanda Railway recorded losses estimated at 32 million kwanzas.
