Speaking to Lusa, Teixeira Cândido said that, of the colleagues detained in Huambo, one belongs to the Education sector and two to the National Electricity Distribution Company (ENDE).
"We are trying to find out exactly what weighs on them. As of now, we still don't have any concrete information (...) in any case, the trade unions understand that there is a direct relationship with the strike", said the also general secretary of the Angolan Journalists Union (SJA).
The union leader stressed that the appeal made was for the strikers to stay at home and only those who will provide minimum services to be in the workplace.
"These colleagues were providing minimal services (...) we are taking steps to find out exactly what is going on", he said, adding that there is information that they allegedly committed offenses that constitute defamation, "but not it's a given."
"We tried to find out, through the lawyers who are currently accompanying our colleagues, but they still don't know for sure, because no one has spoken out and we are waiting", explained the union leader, adding that if the situation continues, demonstrations will be triggered.
Also in the province of Bengo, the arrest of a nurse was recorded, but she has since been released.
Lusa contacted the National Police to obtain clarification on the arrests, with no response so far.
The first phase of the strike ends this Friday, with the next strikes already scheduled, which will run from the 22nd to the 30th of April and the last one from the 3rd to the 14th of June.
Faced with the scenario of coercion, according to the unions, and arrests on the first day of the strike, Teixeira Cândido appealed to his colleagues "not to be inhibited", because there is the right to strike.
According to the secretary general of the SJA, there was a turnout of 95 percent of workers, mainly from health services, education, the Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General's Office and part of the industry sector.
"It was expected that the taxi drivers would also be able to stop, they are in solidarity with the three unions, however, the taxi drivers' strike is scheduled for the 25th", he said.
Teixeira Cândido appealed to his colleagues to remain firm, because the demand is a constitutional right, and to restore social dignity, "which current salaries cannot fulfill".
"What we are doing is nothing outside the law. We have been negotiating with the Government for three months, the Strike Law establishes 20 days only for negotiation", said Teixeira Cândido, highlighting that the unions have extended this period demonstrating their good faith.
The demand list was presented on September 5, 2023 to the Government, by the Central Geral de Sindicatos Independentes e Livres de Angola (CGSILA), a União Nacional dos Trabalhadores Angolanos - Confederação Sindical (UNTA-CS) and Força Sindical - Central Sindical (FS-CS).
Despite the negotiations, they concluded that there was no satisfactory response from the executive to their demands, with differences remaining regarding the increase in the minimum wage and civil service, updating subsidies and reducing taxes.
The trade unions began by demanding an increase in the minimum wage from the current 32,000 kwanzas, to 245,000 kwanzas, a "flexible" proposal, however, to 100,000 kwanzas and a readjustment of the Civil Service salary, in the order of 250 percent.
The executive decided to propose a minimum wage depending on the size of the company, namely 48,000 kwanzas for small companies, 70,000 kwanzas for medium-sized companies and 96,000 kwanzas for large companies, which was rejected by the unions.
