This decision, according to Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), was taken this Wednesday at the first meeting of the social consultation council, and the deadline now established will allow the technical group to continue studies on this matter.
"We agree, there was a very technical and very up-to-date explanation from the Minister of Economic Coordination about what the Executive has done in aligning the performance of the economy and, therefore, after seeing and considering all these facts, it was effectively decided that We have 45 days from today's date so that the technical group that monitors the national minimum wage can continue to carry out its studies on the national minimum wage", said Teresa Rodrigues, quoted by RNA.
The minister also said that this group will evaluate the national minimum wage looking at micro, small, medium and large companies, instead of dividing it by sectors, namely agriculture, transport and services, commerce and industry.
"In this case, highlighting here the feasibility of evaluating, instead of seeing the minimum wage by sectors (...), perhaps at this stage it would be fairer for us to see the national minimum wage in certain micro, small and large companies", she added.
"We practically all came to the conclusion that the increase in wages alone, whether minimum wage or wages, should not be done administratively, this must always be correlated with the performance of the economy," she said.
Teresa Dias highlighted that salary increases without a good performance of the economy will mean that "in a little more time", new updates will have to be carried out, "because the pressure on the price index is always increasing".
At the meeting, an assessment was made of the national economy and the prospects for the evolution of the national minimum wage.
The minister considered the point about assessing the performance of the Angolan economy, in relation to its sustainability and ability to respond to salary demands, both for the public sector and for the national minimum wage, to be "quite important".
The minister also highlighted the importance of the participation of the business sector, "because the impact of the entity that pays salaries is important, in this dichotomy of the discussion of setting the national minimum wage".
In turn, José Severino, president of the Industrial Association of Angola (AIA), considered that "adjustments have to be regular", something that has not been observed in recent years.
"We have to see that adjustments have to be regular and, unfortunately, for almost two and a half years there was no salary adjustment, which is why, in the last meeting in the National Assembly on the General State Budget, we proposed that when discussing the General State Budget, which we have already defined the inflation rate, (...) that the minimum automatic adjustment be made", he indicated.
Quoted by RNA, the president of the AIA added that "it will not be a function of the inflation rate, but to create an expectation of revolution so as not to let the problem worsen."
The three main trade unions in Angola presented a list of demands in September last year, with one of the main demands being an increase in the national minimum wage to 245 thousand kwanzas.
Negotiations have been taking place since December 28th, but the parties have not yet reached an agreement, and the unions may move towards a general strike, a decision that should be taken on Saturday.
Remember that last month, Teresa Rodrigues said that the negotiation process around the minimum wage was advanced. "We are well advanced in this work. Contrary to what proposals are sometimes put to us, the trade unions have participated in the study for the evolution of the national minimum wage", stated the minister at the time.
