In mid-November Angola celebrated its 40th anniversary of independence from its former colonial master.
Portugal's then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rui Machete, commented at the time from the safety of Malta that Angola and Portugal enjoy a good relationship and applauded the "extremely positive statements with regard to Portugal being a very close partner and that Angola has excellent relations with Portugal."
Portuguese workers in the Angolan construction industry may not agree as they have been hung out to dry by a collapsed sector and by companies that refuse to pay overdue wages.
"There are many workers who want to return to Portugal and have no money for the plane ticket."
The comment comes from Albano Ribeiro, president of Portugal’s construction workers union who says there are at least 200,000 Portuguese working in the construction sector, with 80,000 of them owed between two and six months wages and many of them unable to return to Portugal.
The reason for this crisis is confirmed by Reis Campos, the president of the Portuguese Cconstruction and Real Estate Federation who says the Angolan construction spend was based on the price of oil at $81, the price is now at around $47 dollars a barrel.
Albano Ribeiro also said that many Portuguese families in Angola have very dire and complicated situations and have asked the union for help.
The union leader explained that most unpaid wages are due to gangers who simply have disappeared.
Workers at larger companies have fared better with many relocating to where the work is, in other African countries and in Europe but for those left behind it will be a poor Christmas, stranded in Angola praying for a ticket home or a surge in the oil price.
Portuguese exports to Angola have fallen by 30% from January to September this year, as a result of the drop in the oil price.
Portugal may be a ‘close partner’, but only when the going is good it seems and for the stranded workers, neither country is bothering to help.
The Passos Coelho government certainly did not want people returning from Angola and registering as unemployed, maybe the new Socialist administration will look at the situation and offer some sort of aid.
