Over 600 Mozambican workers reinstated through labour mediation

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Over 600 Mozambican workers reinstated through labour mediation

12:21 CAT | 22 Apr 2016

AIM (File photo) / Mozambican minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Vitória Diogo

The Labour Mediation and Arbitration Commission (COMAL) reinstated over 600 workers unjustly dismissed in 2015, according to a release from the Mozambican Labour Ministry.

The provincial mediation bodies, which operate on a tripartite basis, with representation from the government, the trade unions, and the employers’ associations, were requested to intervene during the year in 7,438 labour disputes, and positive outcomes were achieved in 5,924 cases.

During the mediation, it was concluded that there had been injustice in interpreting the labour legislation, and this led to the reinstatement of 654 workers in a variety of companies in five provinces – Maputo city (171 workers reinstated), Maputo province (106), Inhambane (152), Zambezia (99) and Manica (14).

In addition, mediation or arbitration resulted in recovering 28 million meticais (about 550,000 US dollars, at current exchange rates) in wage arrears or unpaid wages, and as compensation for workers who had been the victims if various injustices.

The release added that no advance could be made in 1,322 cases and these have been channeled “to other types of solution” (presumably through the courts).

In 337 disputes, solutions were found during preliminary analysis, and the cases were then withdrawn before they even reached the mediation table.

Among the causes of the disputes, the Ministry release noted, were the lack of written work contracts, failure to pay wages on time (or at all), theft in the workplaces, absenteeism, unjust sackings, ill-treatment of workers and poor working conditions, and the failure of employers to send workers’ social security contributions to the National Social Security Institute (INSS).

Source: AIM