Inhambane maritime transport strike over pay arrears and security issues

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Inhambane maritime transport strike over pay arrears and security issues

10:20 CAT | 21 Jun 2016

Workers at Transmaritima, the Inhambane state/private maritime company, have taken industrial action over pay arrears and unpaid bonuses. A total of 42 workers suspended work for two hours last Thursday to demand the payment of two months’ salary arrears and the 2015 ‘thirteenth month’ bonus.

Transmaritima employees accuse company management of being “manipulative and deceitful”, and constantly making promises without resolving the issues, and have threatened more strikes if their complaints are not addressed soon.

Workers threaten more strikes

Transmaritima workers who spoke to DW Africa on condition of anonymity said more strikes were inevitable, “because we have wage arrears which continue, without explanation”.

One worker laments that “despite the Inhambane Transmaritima company owing three months salary, workers have chosen to continue working for now because they are waiting for the money to come into the ministry, even through they don’t know when that will happen”.

Other workers complain that “the boats came during the election campaign, but then the politicians forgot the people”. One of the workers said that “today life is difficult” and that it was not possible to “be three months without salary, especially for the parents of children, who often live in rented accommodation.”

Transport users complain of poor-quality service and safety

Some passengers using Transmaritima to cross Inhambane Bay expressed solidarity with the workers. “They’re offended because they haven’t been paid, and they’re right! They are risking their lives, and their children depend on this money, as well as their whole households. They have a right to claim what is theirs,” one passenger said.

Other users complain about lack of safety, even talking about “ideal conditions for shipwreck” due to the lack of buoys, overcrowding and the constant breakdowns.

Inhambane provincial government says that it is aware of the problem

The Provincial Director of Transport in Inhambane, Assissa Carimo, says that the government knows about the issue and is working to resolve it in tandem with Transmaritima management. Carimo says that most workers have been paid for May. “Now we are trying to see if we can pay the March and April salaries, in addition to the thirteenth month [2015]”.