The National Union of Teachers (SINPROF) in Angola has announced four periods of strikes in protest against the alleged non-compliance with the terms of an agreement reached with the executive branch in January.
The SINPROF National Council decided to implement strikes in general education, vocational training, teacher training, and adult education, citing the 'failure and violation of the terms of the agreement signed on January 8,' as stated in today's announcement.
The strike is planned in four stages throughout the academic year. The first period will last for 19 working days, from September 21 to October 15; the second—15 days, from December 2 to December 18; the third—13 days, from February 10 to February 26, 2027; and the fourth—25 days, from May 17 to June 18, 2027.
Before the start of the strikes, representative meetings will be held in all 21 provinces of Angola on September 12. SINPROF President Erminia Maria da Conceição Ferreira do Nascimento stated in the announcement that 'the Angolan teacher is tired of unfulfilled promises' and added that 'for three decades we have been demanding the same issues, and it is time to get concrete answers.'
The union stipulated that the Ministry of Education has violated a significant part of the commitments made in the January 8 Agreement between the executive branch and SINPROF, which jeopardizes the promotion of teaching careers and undermines confidence in the executive branch.
SINPROF demands the fulfillment of the agreement regarding the inclusion of thousands of teachers unfairly excluded from internal recruitment and candidate selection contests. The union also insists on a 'reassessment of the process by joint national commissions of the Ministry of Education and SINPROF' and the immediate inclusion of selected teachers into the Integrated Public Financial Management System (SIGFE).
The SINPROF National Council expresses deep concern and indignation over the situation where thousands of Angolan children and adolescents cannot attend school again due to a lack of places in public institutions. The union believes this situation constitutes a 'serious restriction on the effective exercise of the right to education, which the State of Angola is obliged to guarantee.'
The Council also finds it particularly alarming that while the country faces structural deficits in school infrastructure, large investments are being made in other areas. In the union's view, more efficient use of public funds could help address urgent social needs.
SINPROF noted that the cost of investments publicly presented in the construction of the Congress Center, recently opened by the President of the Republic and head of the executive branch João Lourenço, would allow for the construction of about 700 schools, equivalent to approximately 8,400 classrooms, if the funds were directed towards building '12-classroom schools.'
The union emphasized that primary schools still suffer from a lack of adequate financial resources. It calls upon the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance to ensure 'direct transfer of financial resources to the schools themselves' and establish an accountability system that ensures the best use of these funds.
Furthermore, SINPROF urges the executive branch to legalize payments for the past period for workers employed in remote areas and to expand this measure to more municipalities. Despite this, SINPROF states its readiness to continue dialogue with the Government on the issues that led to the declaration of the strike.