According to the secretary general of Sinpes, Eduardo Peres Alberto, the suspension of the strike for 30 days, between 5 April and 5 May, was decided at an assembly held last Friday, in Luanda.
"In the assembly, we also rejected the President of the Republic's proposal for a 6 percent salary increase and approved a new proposal ranging from 2.6 million kwanzas for the full professor and 1.5 million kwanzas for the assistant professor intern", said this Tuesday the trade unionist, in statements to Lusa.
The strike, which began last January 3, is suspended for thirty days, but, noted the university professor, "if the Government does not comply with the new salary proposal" the strike will resume "indefinitely from May 9 ".
"And we also suspended, given the clamor of the students, it is a sign that we are not radical, it is an obligation of the State to guarantee the well-being of those who work, hence the need for political good will on the part of the Government", highlighted the leader of the Sinpes.
Salary increases, better working conditions, payment of public debt and elections of the governing bodies of public higher education institutions are some of the demands of university professors.
The secretary general of Sinpes recalled that the strike, for an indefinite period, arises as a result of "non-compliance" with the memorandum of understanding signed in November 2021 "by the authorities".
A salary equivalent to 2000 dollars for the assistant professor intern and 5000 dollars for the full professor was Sinpes' initial salary proposal to counteract the current "mediocre salaries".
Eduardo Peres Alberto made it known that the 6 percent salary increase, proposed by the President, João Lourenço, includes that the full professor will have a net salary of 598,000 kwanzas, the associate professor a net salary of 546,000 kwanzas, assistant professor 514,000 kwanzas and the assistant a salary of 483,000 kwanzas and the intern 410,000 kwanzas.
"Therefore, this amount is tiny because there was no evolution", stressed the official, who led a demonstration by university professors, in Luanda, against non-compliance with the memorandum on 19 March.
The secretary general of the National Union of Higher Education Teachers hopes that the authorities will approve his new salary proposal "for the good of the parties".
