Luanda, Sept. 5, 2025 (Lusa) - The Luanda District Court on Friday decided to suspend the general strike called by workers in public media outlets and state-controlled media, scheduled to begin next Monday, alleging violation of fundamental citizens' rights.
In response to the injunction filed by the management of public media companies, which defend the guarantee of minimum services during the strike called by the Angolan Journalists' Union (SJA), the Court states that the SJA's decision "violates" citizens' rights to inform themselves and be informed.
According to the court, the SJA's decision to approve an intermittent strike starting on 8 September without guaranteeing minimum services violates the principles of strike law and restricts citizens' rights, freedoms and guarantees.
The court decided to uphold the injunction filed by the chairmen of the boards of directors of Televisão Pública de Angola (TPA), Edições Novembro, Agência Angola Press (ANGOP), Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), TV Zimbo and the leader of the management committee of Grupo Média Nova, and warns of the "consequences" of a possible strike.
"On these terms and grounds, I rule on behalf of the people that the present specific precautionary measure is valid, because it has been proven, and, as a result, I order the suspension of the decision contained in the minutes of the meeting of workers of media companies under state control, embodied in the declaration of strike," reads the order of the judges of the 1st Section of the Labour Chamber of the Luanda District Court.
Workers at public media companies or under state supervision in Angola decided on Tuesday to go ahead with a general strike, with the first phase taking place next week, demanding a 58% wage increase.
The decision to hold a general strike was unanimously approved at a general meeting led by the SJA, with workers applauding in unison the phased strike until December.
According to the statement released at the end of the meeting, the strike will take place in four phases, the first between 8 and 12 September, the next from 9 to 19 October, the third from 10 to 24 November and the last between 10 and 24 December.
The strike was approved by workers at Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), Televisão Pública de Angola (TPA), Edições Novembro (owner of Jornal de Angola, Jornal dos Desportos, Jornal Cultura and Jornal Economia e Finanças), Agência Angola Press, Media Nova (owner of Jornal O País, Rádio Mais and Gráfica Dammer) and TV Zimbo, the latter two already owned by the state as part of the asset recovery process.
At the general meeting, employees expressed "deep dissatisfaction and indignation" at the "non-compliance" with the agreement signed last April, which provided for a 58% salary increase to take effect in August 2025.
The agreement also established retroactive payments for June and July, "which to date have not been implemented without formal justification from the employers," the statement read.
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