Mozambique Elections: OTM Trade Union Central distances itself from strike called by Venâncio Mondlane

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Mozambique Elections: OTM Trade Union Central distances itself from strike called by Venâncio Mondlane

5:53 CAT | 18 Oct 2024

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: A Verdade]

The Mozambican Workers’ Organization – Trade Union Central (OTM-CS) today distanced itself from the strike announced for Monday by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, warning of “incalculable losses” and sanctions against employees.

“It is his agenda that has nothing to do with us. We did not coordinate with him. We, the unions, [only] call for workers’ strikes under the terms of the labour law. (…) Now, we do not know which law politicians use to call a general strike,” Florêncio Quetane, head of the office of the general secretary of OTM-CS, told Lusa.

The issue at stake is a strike called for Monday by Venâncio Mondlane, who contests the figures already announced by the district and provincial election commissions regarding the October 9 vote, figures that give an advantage to the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the ruling party) and the presidential candidate supported by the party, Daniel Chapo, with over 60% of the votes.

The OTM further warned of sanctions against employees who fail to show up at work, including the recording of [unexcused] absences and consequent salary deductions and even disciplinary proceedings based on the damage caused by their absence.

“Workers must go to work, otherwise they will incur the consequences provided for in labour law. We will not be able to defend workers who are absent by invoking a strike that we have not called,” Quetane stressed.

According to Quetane, the shutdown of activities could also cause “incalculable losses” for the country, and he therefore called for dialogue.

“We advise that those responsible [to] talk to the offended party so that there is no strike, that is our opinion. No one wants harm, no one wants a strike, but if his problem is not resolved, he will go on strike,” said Quetane.

The Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) also criticised today the stoppage of activities called by the presidential candidate, warning of the economic impact of political speeches in post-election periods.
“We are already worried about the situation of foreign exchange to meet imports and, on several occasions, we have warned that the economy suffers greatly from the excess of holidays and public holidays. This type of political speech only complicates things further,” president of the CTA Agostinho Vuma told Lusa.

For Venâncio Mondlane, the strike would be “one of the windows of contestation” against the results, which he described as “grossly fraudulent”, while stressing that it was a peaceful action.

“It is not a public demonstration of attack on institutions. If that happens, it is outside the norm of what we want. It is simply a stoppage of activities. That is all, it is nothing more or less than that”, stated Mondlane.

The general elections of October 9th included the seventh presidential elections – in which the current head of state, Filipe Nyusi, who has reached the limit of two terms, has not run – simultaneously with the seventh legislative elections and the fourth for assemblies and provincial governors.

The National Elections Commission (CNE) has 15 days, after the polls close, to announce the official election results, a date that falls on October 24th, and then it is up to the Constitutional Council to proclaim the results, after the analysis of any appeals has also been concluded, but without a defined deadline for this purpose.

Source: Lusa