In an "urgent appeal", the OAA considered, despite the facts not yet being conclusive, that the Police's intervention "indicates arbitrary, illegal and disproportionate institutional behavior", because "it violated the law by detaining citizens without a warrant and who did not were committing a disproportionate crime, because they used force, in some cases even violence against unarmed trade unionists and strikers".
At issue is the arrest by the police, on Wednesday, in the provinces of Huambo and Bengo of some unionists and strikers, who were participating in the start of the first phase of the three-day general strike, called by three union centrals, demanding a salary increase, reducing taxes and improving working conditions.
According to the coordinator of the Human Rights Commission and member of the OAA National Council, Margareth Nanga, the trade unionists arrested on Wednesday in Huambo were released on the same day and were presented to the guarantee judge this Thursday.
Regarding the situation in the province of Bengo, Margareth Nanga stressed that local colleagues are working hard to find out what happened.
The order advocated that the investigation into police officers be conducted by an intersectoral and independent commission, to promote the competent investigation of possible criminal and civil cases, as well as guaranteeing protection and support for victims.
According to the OAA, it will continue to monitor the situation, making itself available to unions and state institutions for any clarifications regarding the protection and guarantee of fundamental rights and the application of internal and international human rights instruments.
The OAA stressed in the appeal that the right to strike "is crucial", including the right to fair and favorable working conditions, and to "work with dignity, without fear of intimidation and persecution".
"The right to strike is a structuring part of trade union freedom, which is a fundamental freedom, therefore, a human right and is a guarantee mechanism for the exercise and promotion of workers' rights, because, as the ILO [International Labor Organization] reminds, that without freedom of association there is no justice", the document highlights.
The demand list was presented on September 5, 2023 to the Government, by the Central Geral de Sindicatos Independentes e Livres de Angola (CGSILA), 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.
In 1998, the first interpolated general strike was carried out, carried out by CGSILA lasting three days, this being the second general strike, but the first bringing together the three union centers in the country.
