Coal crisis costs nearly 1,000 jobs in Tete

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Coal crisis costs nearly 1,000 jobs in Tete

10:01 CAT | 03 Jan 2017

Voa / Industries and small and medium-sized enterprises have had to adapt to the crisis.

At least 1,000 people lost their jobs in 2016 because of the crisis affecting coal sector mega-projects in the central Mozambican province of Tete.

The Tete provincial government says it is making an effort to redeploy its specialised workforce to projects in other mineral-rich Mozambique provinces such as Inhambane and Cabo Delgado.

The crisis has affected the large mining companies and, as a result, small and medium-sized service companies have also had to lay off workers or closed their doors entirely.

Olga Nassone, directora provincial do Trabalho em Tete — Olga Nassone, Tete’s province Labour director

Official data to which VOA has access indicates that 969 workers were dismissed between January and September in Tete.

Provincial Labor Director Olga Nassone says authorities are taking steps in an attempt to help the unemployed. One way is to register them and their skills before redirecting them to other major hydrocarbon projects in Mozambique.

Nassone says that in recent weeks there have been glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel. The crisis that has shaken the extractive industry has slowed and multinationals are already resuming activities and re-hiring workers.

Estrada que dá a Moatize, onde estao instaladas grandes mineradoras, Tete — Road to Moatize in Tete, where the large mining companies are based

The Provincial Director of Labour of Tete said that the Executive would nevertheless continue to promote vocational training in an effort to help young people become self-employed.

Source: Voa Portugues