REFLECTIONS OF INDUSTRIAL UNION ACTION IN ANGOLA: A LOOK AT PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This article addresses the impact of industrial union activity on Angola's public university system, focusing primarily on the improvements brought about by the Industrial Union of Higher Education Teachers (SINPES) from 2018 to the present. Considering the research objectives, a summary portrait of the situation of higher education in Angola, the emergence of SINPES, and the main impacts of union activity in the country were created. Methodologically, the article is based on bibliographic and documental research. The data consulted indicate that the main impacts of union activity on the public university system essentially cover three fundamental areas: remuneration, policies for promoting teaching careers, and teaching quality in higher education institutions. It is noteworthy, however, that union activity faces several challenges resulting from Angola's sociopolitical and economic characteristics, namely the fragility of institutional structures, employers' resistance to demands, and political interference in negotiations between SINPES and the government.