Africa-Press – Cape verde. The president of the UCID party criticized this Friday the salary increase for the new chairman of the board of directors of TACV to 450 contos per month and questioned whether there will be resources to increase the minimum wage from 19 to 30 contos.
In a press conference at the party’s regional headquarters in Praia, the leader of the Cape Verdean Union for Independence and Democracy (UCID, opposition) considered that this increase represents “a break in political coherence, respect for the law and social justice,” stressing that the country needs to rediscover moral and political coherence.
According to João Santos Luís, until 2016 the remuneration of public managers was defined by a resolution of the Council of Ministers, but with the political change, the Movement for Democracy (MpD, ruling party) decided to create a decree to harmonize salaries and impose a maximum limit of 300 contos.
“In theory, the measure seemed to promote transparency and rationality in public management, but in practice, however, the principle of harmonization has been systematically ignored,” he stressed, highlighting the 50% increase in the new salary received by the chairman of the board of directors of TACV, Armindo Sousa.
According to the leader, Cabo Verde Airlines (TACV) is a public company “with liabilities exceeding 25 million escudos, a large part guaranteed by the State,” which end up transforming the debt into “charges borne by all Cape Verdeans.”
“UCID is not against decent salaries; on the contrary, we believe that those who assume great responsibilities should be fairly compensated,” he argued.
The same source maintained that he rejects the logic of permanent exception, in which “the law applies to some and is ignored for others according to political convenience.”
João Santos Luís also argued that if the country has the capacity to pay salaries of 450 contos, then “there must also be resources to value humble workers,” citing as examples the increase in the minimum wage from 19 to 30 contos.
He also pointed to the improvement of retirement and survivor pensions from six to ten contos, and the resolution of state debts with former EMPA employees, “who have been waiting for justice for decades.”
The UCID leader also appealed for the resolution of pending issues with former military personnel from 1975, former workers of the Justino Lopes company in the municipality of Santa Cruz, who continue to be victims of “inertia and insensitivity,” as well as the creation of better conditions for university students from low-income families.
“We cannot continue to demand sacrifices from the people while maintaining privileges for an administrative elite,” he stressed, adding that “a strong state is not measured by the height of its managers’ salaries, but by the depth of social justice it guarantees to its people.” The UCID (Union for Democratic Coalition) positioned itself in favor of a commitment to “ethical and socially responsible governance,” advocating for a State that “respects the law, values work,” and distributes resources more equitably, with true social justice.
The TACV (Cape Verde Airlines) general assembly, held on October 21st, confirmed the election of Armindo Sousa as the new chairman of the board of directors and the integration of Mário Tavares, previously the Quality Director, into the executive committee.
During the meeting, which took place in Praia, the proposal presented by Victor Fidalgo, the company’s largest private shareholder, for a salary increase for the chairman of the board to 450 contos (approximately €100,000) and for the directors to 405 contos (approximately €100,000) was also approved.
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