The unions do not review the "agreement" that came out of this Wednesday's meeting of the National Council for National Concertation to return to the negotiating table within 45 days, said the general secretary of CGSILA.
Francisco Jacinto also said that the list of demands was not delivered to the National Council for Social Coordination, but addressed to the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, and in compliance with the terms of the Strike Law, which establishes the requirements and deadlines for response and negotiation period.
"We delivered the notebook on September 5, 2023, it is March, we have been more than five months since the notebook of demands was received and is in the possession of the President of the Republic. It is too long, both for the response and for the negotiation", he said.
The union leader stressed that the negotiation periods are established by law, and "cannot be dictated by any thought, whether from a union, much less from an employer such as the executive".
The Minister of Public Administration, Labor and Social Security, Teresa Dias, said, this Wednesday, at the end of the meeting that it was decided that, over the next 45 days, the technical group that monitors the national minimum wage will continue to make its studies of the national minimum wage.
"Trade union associations do not receive impositions", said Francisco Jacinto, declaring that union activity is "independent".
"Any deadline that may be extended, as we did, has to be done willingly, it has to be stipulated by the workers and not by any suggestion, any thought from a non-union person," he added.
Regarding this Wednesday's meeting, Francisco Jacinto continued, where the leaders of the union centers were not present, the unions were not linked to any council deliberation regarding the extension of the negotiation period.
"We have been negotiating since December 28, 2023, it is the month of March, it is unacceptable for us to accept any suggestion from a non-union entity, this is considered interference, imposition, interference in the union's internal affairs, the law itself condemns this," he repeated.
The trade union centrals have always been willing to negotiate, shown flexibility and their positions in good faith, highlighted the general secretary of CGSILA, without the executive presenting "a balanced proposal that would meet the demands presented by the workers".
A general workers' assembly is scheduled for Saturday in the province of Luanda, the country's capital, with the participation of all affiliated unions, and assemblies have already been held in the remaining 17 provinces of the country.
"I don't know what the assembly will actually decide on, we know that the assemblies held by the other 17 provinces all decided to carry out the general strike", he observed.
In turn, the president of Força Sindical Angolana (FSA), Cleofas Venâncio, told Lusa that unions are not obliged to wait 45 days.
"We should continue to find a solution so that we can resolve it before the 45 days, or if the 45 days were the final goal, if it is earlier, it would be very good for us", defended the union leader, remembering that no adjustments have been made for two and a half years to the national minimum wage.
