Talatona - The Secretary of State for Labor and Social Security, Pedro José Filipe, reaffirmed Friday in Luanda the government's commitment to ensure that no civil servant has a net salary of less than 100,000 kwanzas,from June.
In a decree of 19 April this year, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, determined a supplementary salary of 30,000 kwanzas, as of June 1, for civil servants and administrative agents in the general civil service system.
Speaking to the press during the 3rd meeting of the National Committee of the General Centre of Independent and Free Trade Unions of Angola (CGSILA), Pedro Filipe said the process for these supplements to be allocated to all civil servants is currently underway for its inclusion in the general system.
According to the Secretary of State, the exercises carried out in higher education to increase the pay of teachers by 100 percent have also been implemented, while doctors and military personnel, as well as military health technicians, will also benefit from an increase.
Allowances of civil servants who are based in municipalities or remote areas have been in process since April, Pedro Filipe said, adding that there are a series of proposals that will be implemented in January 2025, mentioning the case of the 25 percent pay rise for the entire civil service.
CGSILA's Secretary General, Francisco Gaspar, on his turn expressed concern with the purchasing power of workers, which is being lost over the time, and that recovering it doesn't only involve a pay rise.
For the trade unionist, the cost of the basic food basket has risen dramatically and is reflected in the fact that almost 80 percent of products are imported.
He said that during the meeting, measures will be analyzed to prevent or mitigate commercial agents from doing whatever they want.
The union leader said they are dissatisfied with the reduction in the initial proposal for the national minimum wage from 250 per cent to 100 per cent.
According to him, the trade union centers will be meeting in September to analyze the issue of the national minimum wage for each year. ‘What we want is to recover what we've lost over the years,’ he said,
The 3rd meeting of the CGSILA is addressing, among other issues, the process of making demands, the country's socio-economic situation, as well as the current state of trade unionism in Angola. it is being attended by trade union representatives from the country's 18 provinces.GIZ/MAG/AMP