Workers at the Military Footwear and Uniforms Manufacturing Company (EFCU-EP), a public manufacturing unit overseen by the Angolan Ministry of National Defense, Veterans and Homeland Patriots, began on Friday, September 4, a 15-day intermittent strike. The stoppage comes after nearly four months of demands for salary increases and better working conditions that received no response from the oversight body.
Laurinda João, one of the leaders of the EFCU-EP Workers' Union, explained that the strike aims at salary improvements, better working conditions, the employer's refusal to open space for negotiations, and allegations of power abuse. According to the union leader, workers face low wages, poor working conditions, and receive no hazard pay despite working with chemical products.
The union leader highlighted that the company, being public, does not pay hazard pay or any other allowances to workers, exposing their lives to daily risks due to direct contact with chemical products. Laurinda João added that workers are open to dialogue but will not yield until the problems are resolved, considering that the basic salary is not enough to meet their needs.