New minimum wages “far below the real needs of workers” – Mozambican Unions

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New minimum wages “far below the real needs of workers” – Mozambican Unions

12:42 CAT | 20 Apr 2016

Mozambique’s trade unions are still not happy with the CCT minimum wage readjustment levels decided in the final round of negotiations.

Trade unions, government and employers reached consensus on readjustment proposals to be put to the Council of Ministers, and Alexandre Munguambe, Secretary General of the Mozambique Workers’ Organization (OTM) said that the recommended readjustment rates were above the 3.6 percent inflation figure.

“All we know for sure is that all wages will be adjusted from 1 April 2016. It is true that we are not satisfied. For the new minimum wages to please us, as the OTM, they should please all workers. That’s not the case. All we were able to do is reverse last year’s inflation,” Munguambe said.

Munguambe said that salary adjustments would end up being consumed by the higher cost of living.

“We sought average annual inflation. That, yes, is guaranteed, but there is something more we should have achieved, which was not possible. It was a very difficult year for the unions, because we were faced with serious problems arising from drought in the centre and south, floods in the north and instability derived from the armed conflict. It became difficult to reach consensus with employers and we had to accept some values that we recognize are far below the real needs of workers, but were all that was possible, taking into consideration the difficulties that companies face,” he said.

Victor Miguel, deputy president of the Economic Associations Confederation (CTA) for Labour and Social Policy Action, said that negotiations on the minimum wage have reached a consensus which would preserve jobs and not endanger an economy already reeling from drought and floods as well as armed conflict.

Since 2007, wages have been set by sector, these being agriculture; livestock; hunting and forestry; fisheries; the mineral extraction industry; manufacturing industry; production and distribution of electricity, gas and water industry; construction; non-financial services activities; financial activities; and public administration, defence and security.

The Secretary General of the Consultative Labour Commission, João Loforte, said that the negotiation of the new national minimum wage was conducted responsibly, considering the difficulties that last year posed for the country.

According to Loforte, the expectation is that the government would decide on the new minimum wage on Tuesday and that they would come into effect by 1 May at the latest.

Source: Notícias