The social contract between Angola's National Teachers' Union (Sinprof) and the executive branch, signed in January, has been violated, leading to a strike among educators. Sinprof General Secretary, Admar Jiguma, told Lusa that 'the strike is a fact,' emphasizing that 'in most provinces, the participation rate is approaching 100%.'
Sinprof has initiated four periods of strikes. The first period is scheduled for September 21st to protest the alleged non-compliance with the terms of the previously reached agreement.
Admar Jiguma reported that in Luanda, 'there are literally no classes in any public or private educational institution,' and the situation is similar in other provinces, as evidenced by incoming reports. According to the union official, the last meeting between the parties took place on Thursday, but an agreement could not be reached on two priority points from the teachers' demands and the Ministry of Education.
These contentious issues concern the advancement of workers in their careers and the equalization of career paths and academic profiles. Admar Jiguma noted the lack of any rapprochement between the parties. Although a meeting was initially planned for Saturday, the teachers decided not to gather that day, remaining ready for negotiations starting today.
The strike, divided into four phases, has the following dates: the first from September 21st to October 15th; the second from December 2nd to December 18th; the third from February 10th to February 26th, 2027; and the fourth from May 17th to June 18th, 2027.
In the strike announcement, the union stated that the Sinprof National Council had decided to implement a strike in general education, technical and vocational education, teacher training, and adult education 'due to the failure and violation of the terms of the agreement signed on January 8th.'
Sinprof President Erminia Maria da Conceição Ferreira do Nascimento, mentioned in the statement, said that 'the Angolan teacher is tired of unfulfilled promises.' She added: 'We have been demanding the same issues for three decades, and it is time to get concrete answers.'
Prior to the strike, the parties held several meetings that did not yield positive results. At the Saturday meeting, which Sinprof refused to attend, the State Secretary for Labor and Social Protection, Pedro Filipe, listed several measures adopted by the Government in a press interview, asserting that all teachers' demands had been fully met.
Pedro Filipe reminded that the list of demands presented in January included nine points, among which was the promotion process for 53,755 workers who were excluded from the process in 2024. This official emphasized that the first phase of this process, covering 27,000 education sector workers, including teachers and administrative staff hired in 2017–2018, would begin next month, while those hired in 2019–2020 would start receiving category updates in the first quarter of 2027.
According to Pedro Filipe, requirements regarding the processing of vacation allowances on separate sheets to reduce the tax burden, distribution of school textbooks, increase in budget allocations for schools, and full payment of the thirteenth salary, as well as exam bonuses for managers and department heads, were also satisfied.
In the State Secretary's view, there is no basis for the strike that began today and will last until October 15th in this first phase. Sinprof leadership appealed to teachers in a message: 'Do not leave your homes. The strike is not taking place at the workplace. Leave the workplace unattended. The only teacher there will be a strike picket at the school entrance.'