Angolan nurses on nationwide strike

 Luanda –Angola Nurses Union (SINDEA) started a nationwide strike on Monday for an undetermined period of time, with the aim of making the government respond to their complaints.

In the complaints presented in 2021 to the Health Ministry (MINSA), the Union  demanded, among others, salary increase, improvements in working conditions, payment of a covid-19 subsidy and the conclusion of the transition process suspended since 2019.

 

The union, through a press release, states that emergency rooms, delivery rooms, operating rooms, intensive care, hemodialysis and hospitalizations will have the minimum services safeguarded, but the outpatient and consultations will be closed throughout the country.

 

Regarding the strike, the director of the MINSA human resources department , Baptista Monteiro, announced in a press conference that a working meeting with the union leadership is scheduled for Tuesday  to seek ways to end the strike.

 

Baptista Monteiro added that as regard the payment of the Covid-19 subsidies, at least 8000 professionals have already received the amount, although he was coy on the amount given to each professional.

 

"As to the others, we are waiting, from the union, for proof of service rendered by the professionals in the (Covivd-19) centers created," Monteiro said, adding that the MINSA is open to discussion, in a transparent way, but within the framework of the Law.

 

Angola has more than 60,000 professional nurses, 32, 720 of which are affiliated to the Nurses Union.