The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) has expressed solidarity with the striking teachers in Angola, urging the government to engage in urgent dialogue with the teachers' union. The strike, which began on September 21, is set to continue in four phases until June 2027. UNITA's parliamentary group has called on the government to hold frank and open talks with the National Teachers' Union (Sinprof) to address the teachers' concerns.
The strike, led by Sinprof, is demanding better working conditions, salary increases, and the inclusion of 53,575 teachers who were unfairly excluded from the internal recruitment and access competition. The union also wants a 30% subsidy on the base salary for teachers in monodocência regime and the correction of salary disparities. UNITA has expressed concern that the government's lack of response to these demands has led to the current strike, which is affecting the start of the new academic year.
UNITA's parliamentary group has stated that the teachers' demands are not new, but rather structural issues that have been neglected for years. The party has criticized the government for not prioritizing consensus and social concertation, as provided for in the General Labor Law. UNITA has also repudiated any threats of salary cuts, absence marking, or retaliatory measures against the striking teachers, warning that such actions would only exacerbate poverty and erosion of the teachers' purchasing power.
The Angolan Minister of Education, Erika Aires, has issued a circular ordering schools to register the absences of teachers who join the strike. The circular claims that the ministry had engaged in a constructive dialogue with Sinprof on September 9 and that most of the union's demands had been met. However, the union has accused the ministry of trying to intimidate teachers into returning to work.
The strike is scheduled to take place in four phases, with the first phase lasting 19 working days from September 21 to October 15. The subsequent phases will take place from December 2 to 18, February 10 to 26, 2027, and May 17 to June 18, 2027. UNITA has emphasized that the right to strike is a fundamental right and that education is a critical task of the state.
The party has insisted that any agreements reached with the union must be written and effectively implemented. UNITA has also highlighted the need for the government to address the shortage of teachers in the country, which has led to the unfair exclusion of 53,575 teachers from the recruitment competition.
The situation remains tense as the strike continues, with UNITA calling for a resolution to the crisis through dialogue. The government has not yet responded to UNITA's appeal for dialogue, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in the coming weeks.
Key points
- - UNITA supports the striking teachers and urges the government to engage in urgent dialogue with the union. - The strike is demanding better working conditions, salary increases, and the inclusion of 53,575 teachers who were unfairly excluded from the recruitment competition. - The strike is scheduled to take place in four phases until June 2027.
