Mozambique: Capulana factory gives workers collective vacation

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Mozambique: Capulana factory gives workers collective vacation

1:34 CAT | 08 Apr 2020

Photo: O País

Nova Texmoque has given its more than 100 workers a month’s vacation on account of the coronavirus, having seen all orders for capulanas cancelled. Payment of wages is assured for now, but if the crisis continues, the scenario may change, ‘O Pais’ reports.

This contrasts starkly with the usual state of the textile factory, where normally, at this time of the year, people would be working non-stop to satisfy demand. Nova Teximoque is located in Nampula and is the only capulana production plant in the country.

More than 100 personnel work in the production sector. As it is a closed workplace, without much ventilation, management has preferred to lay the workers off for the duration of the national emergency rather than risk spreading the coronavirus.

“A big loss for us because we are paying people who have not worked, at a time when the company is not in production. We are racking up huge losses,” Hélio Mesa, from Nova Texmoque’s administration, says.

The losses may be huge, but the company prefers not to be specific, as it is the only capulana factory which receives orders from all over the country. From one moment to the next, everything changed. The last cancellation, last week, was for 6,000 capulanas.

“The cancellation is justified because the capulana is used for large gatherings. People buy capulana for parties, and we no longer have parties. So, there is no reason to buy capulanas. Also, we cannot just produce to stack them up in a warehouse,” Mesa said.

Everything has stopped. The days reveal the impact of a crisis that affects everyone, but weighing more on those who have responsibility for others.

The Nampula Business Council does not as yet have systematic information on the number of industries and companies that have closed their doors because of Covid-19.

By Ricardo Machava

Source: O País