Africa-Press – Angola. As of today, teachers and students across the country can now return to classes, after the first phase of the strike is over, announced this Wednesday, at a press conference, the president of the National Union of Teachers (SINPROF).
Guilherme Silva assured that the stoppage of classes has been suspended, waiting now for the implementation of the second phase, which starts next Tuesday, the 6th. However, he revealed that during the six days of the strike there was no negotiation with the Ministry of Education.
“This Saturday, the 3rd, we are going to hold workers’ assemblies, in all the provincial capitals, to prepare for the second phase of the stoppage of classes, on the 6th, if there is no agreement. “, said.
The trade unionist informed that it was never the intention of the organization to harm the progress of the teaching and learning process in the country. The union, he added, remains open to dialogue. “What we need is clear and serious proposals, to present to the affiliates”.
In 2021, he highlighted, SINPROF had suspended the strike, but did not lift it, because the survey assumes that the issues under negotiation were addressed.
The union president recalled that in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the education sector had eight months of teaching stoppage. “With the return of face-to-face classes and normality, we decided to return to the claim process, suspended due to the pandemic. At this time, the current Minister of Education was already in office”, he said.
The Ministry of Education, he explained, was informed about the return to the teachers’ strike. “The union complied with all the legal requirements provided for in the strike law. The strike declaration of April 17, 2021 remains valid, due to the fact that it was only suspended, not lifted”, he concluded.
The union leader declared, in a press conference, that in March of this year, the union sent an addendum to the Claims Book, with 11 points, which highlighted the reduction of the Labor Income Tax (IRT), the alteration of the remuneration status of education agents, isolation subsidies.
The memorandum of understanding, signed on April 4, 2021, he said, referred to the 4th point of the Claims Book, on the dignity of the teacher, through the appreciation of academic skills and length of service.
Guilherme Silva also added that of the 134,000 teachers, as they fit into the average technical career compatible, based on current academic qualifications, 19,000 teachers still need to be inserted across the country.
“Today, in the afternoon, the first business meeting takes place, between the Ministry of Education and SINPROF, whose objective is to find solutions, in relation to the Claims Book”, he said.
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