The proposal for the new General Labor Law reintroduces the contract for an indefinite period, the complementary maternity leave, from three months to four months optional, without remuneration in the extra month, and paternity leave, of 15 days, the extension of disciplinary measures, the mobility of workers within the same group of companies, telecommuting, among other innovations.
For the National Union of Angolan Workers – Trade Union Confederation (UNTA-CS) the bill presents gains for workers and employers, which they have always considered "the best way to build social peace at work".
"It's a balanced law, neither so much land nor so much sea, it doesn't defend either side, but it does the justice that is required in the relationship between the employer and the employee. interests of the workers. It is a pity that, many times, the laws are not complied with by some institutions", José Laurindo told Lusa.
The Secretary General of UNTA-CS referred that "there are no perfect laws" and this proposal "is not totally perfect", but without much to improve.
"It is a balanced law, because it does not harm workers or employers, not least because it is a law that brought new articles, new 'nuances', which have to do with paternity and maternity and other elements that were not included in the underlying current law", he stressed.
For its part, the General Central of Independent and Free Trade Unions of Angola (CGSILA) considers that the proposal "is partly satisfactory", because there are aspects to be improved, namely the issue of maternity leave and compensation.
According to the general secretary of the central, Francisco Jacinto, maternity leave should be increased from three to four or five months, arguing that "this would not be harmful" because it is necessary "to respect life and the mother, the generator of life".
"We should have been concerned about granting another two or three months in the maternity regime", he stressed.
On this subject, the president of the Association of Angolan Industrialists (AIA), José Severino, is of the opinion that this change finds comfort in large companies, which "have the possibility of having several workers".
"An SME [small and medium-sized companies], a trade, a retail, a small factory, does not have this possibility, and in some professions, such as sewing, mostly have women workers (...), so small stores will see themselves afflicted with this law", he highlighted.
Looking at the model of Eastern European countries, José Severino mentioned that there these rights decrease as women bear children, that is, rights begin to be reduced from the third or fourth child, a proposal that does not was accepted in Angola.
José Severino points out that the proposed law has significant changes, although "they are fundamentally a gain for the working class".
"We don't see major responsibilities there, some perverse effects of some behaviors that are less typical of workers, unionists and workers' commissions", considered José Severino, stressing that the economy is not going through a good time for the new challenges constant in the law, such as the issue of compensation.
"I emphasize that there are gains for the working class, which is legitimate, but on the other hand, I must say that the law will be brutal for SMEs, which are unable [to pay compensation], even in the matter of female work, because it increases the women's right to motherhood," he added.
