Luanda - The National Assembly (AN) Thursday rejected the request submitted by the major opposition UNITA parliamentary group, which wanted to address in the parliament the general strike called by trade unions.
Virgílio Tchiova, MP of the ruling MPLA, justified his veto of UNITA's requests on the grounds that the parliament cannot be interfering in a process that is under negotiation.
"We, as the National Assembly, are a sovereign body and another sovereign body, the Executive, is negotiating with the unions, so we shouldn't introduce noise into this process," Tchiova said.
He believes that there is no question of the right to strike, the demands of the unions or the right to a pay rise for Angolan workers.
UNITA
UNITA's parliamentary group considers the issue to be of relevant public interest that needs to be dealt with urgently.
UNITA's Américo Chivukuvuku lamented the veto of the request submitted for approval by the Plenary, before the agenda period, at the 4th Ordinary Plenary Meeting of the AN, for whom "nobody can currently survive on 32,000 kwanzas a month".
UNITA calls on the Executive to work with the trade unions to find a solution that meets the needs and interests of the workers.
The national minimum wage in Angola is set at 32,181.15 kwanzas.
Trade unions decided at the General Workers' Assembly to declare a general strike in three phases started by March 20. They demand an increase in the minimum wage and salary readjustment. DC/VIC/TED/AMP
