LUANDA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Nurses from Luanda, the capital of Namibia, have started a general strike for an indefinite period, demanding payment of arrears, salary adjustment and allowances.
The protest was called by the Angolan Nurses Union (Sintenfl), according to a statement Monday by the secretary general of the Union, Afonso Kileba.
Kileba underlined that the duration of the strike will depend on the promptness that the Government will have to meet the concerns presented.
Sintenfl gathers a total of 6,000 affiliated nurses in a province with almost seven million inhabitants.
A wave of strikes has been lately taking place in Namibia. On April 9th, Teachers of the primary and secondary public schools called a 18-day nationwide strike also over pay and better conditions in public schools.
The strike called by the Teachers'Trade Union (Sinprof) forced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the teachers' union and the government containing a number of actions to be implemented until 2019.
With the signing of the Memoradum of strike last only a week.
The Teachers' Union (SINPROF) claimed better wages and better working conditions in public schools where many teachers work with more than 100 students in a classroom.
Due to the impact of the teachers' strike, the Angolan executive created at the time a crisis committee coordinated by the Ministry of Public Administration, Labor and Social Security which were mediating the negotiations between the teachers union and the Ministry of Education.
Also in the Justice sector, the Angolan Justice Officers' Union (SOJA) held a strike from May 28 to June 1 throughout the country which led to a suspension of services such as the issuing of birth certificates, identity cards, and release of detainees.
On the occasion the Secretary General of the Union, Lazaro Binjola told the press that they have given a 90-day moratorium for the Angolan executive to meet their claims.
If at the end of the referred period the bailiffs' claims are not satisfied they threaten to resume the strike on August 29, 2018 with the total shutdown of services.
Angola is experiencing a financial crisis due to the fall of oil prices in the international market which led to the deterioration of the social conditions.
