Mozambique: Civil servants to strike until 13th salary is paid, no negotiations – report

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Mozambique: Civil servants to strike until 13th salary is paid, no negotiations – report

1:17 CAT | 21 Jan 2025

Image: Miramr

The Mozambican civil servants’ associations on strike told Lusa yesterday that the time for diplomacy and negotiations “has passed” and that they would only resume activities when the government paid their “13th month” salary.

“The motto now is: Money in the bank account; civil servants and state agents at their posts of duty. There are no more negotiations, this is not the time for negotiations. The time for diplomacy has passed, now is the time for payment,” said the president of the National Association of Teachers (ANAPRO) and spokesperson for the protesting organizations, Isac Marrengula.

In addition to the teachers’ association, the National Association of Nurses of Mozambique (ANAMO, the Association of United and Solidary Health Professionals of Mozambique (APSUSM), the Association of United Teachers (APU) and the National Civil Service Union (SINAFP) also stopped activities yesterday.

Isac Marrengula said that the work stoppage was the “only solution” found by the workers, accusing the Government of not being interested in paying the employees’ salaries and questioning the payment of subsidies to other “senior executives”.

“It’s not because there’s no money, it’s because the employees and agents of the state are not a priority,” Marrengula said, adding that all the employees say “out loud” that they will not return to work until the executive “pays what it owes”.

Mozambican public employees began an indefinite strike today to demand payment of their “13th month” salary.

Dozens of health professionals working at the Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), the largest in the country, stopped work yesterday, demanding payment of overdue subsidies as well as the 13th month salary amount.

“The money is rightfully ours, it is not a favour. We want our rights,” HCM emergency service agent Sónia de Almeida told Lusa during the demonstrations outside the hospital.

According to Sónia de Almeida, the professionals’ demands also include the payment of shift, risk and transport allowances, in addition to the standardization of the special allowance.

On Saturday, the Mozambican government admitted “difficulties” in the immediate payment of the 13th month to the public sector, indicating that it is studying alternatives for its implementation, to be announced “soon”.

The Council of Ministers met on Saturday, at the Presidency of the Republic, immediately after the inauguration ceremony of the new government by President Daniel Chapo.

The cabinet meeting spokesperson pointed out that the executive was unable to collect revenue following the destruction of public and private property during post-election demonstrations.

“The government will continue to assess the situation and consider possible scenarios for the payment of the 13th month and present the measure shortly. This will not be the first experience, there have already been different experiences in which the government created and found alternatives for partial payment, by groups, among other measures,” Minister of State Administration and Public Service Inocêncio Impissa said at the end of Saturday’s cabinet meeting.

Source: Lusa