Workers worried about the revision of Labour Law

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Workers worried about the revision of Labour Law

12:36 CAT | 29 Oct 2018

File photo: O País

The current Labour Law has been in force since 2007 and, after a decade in force, is outdated. The government has already started the process of revising the law, and the discussion of the preliminary draft is now underway with the participation of interested parties.

That is how the document was presented to the business people and workers of Maputo last Wednesday.

Alexandre Munguambe, Secretary-General of the Mozambican Workers’ Organisation, expressed concern that any revision of the labour law should offend the sensitivities of the parties concerned, especially with workers the weakest part of the labour relationship because of their economic subordination.

For Munguambe “the best way to address workers’ concerns is to carry out a fair and transparent revision of the law where the rights of each party are not affected”.

Employers argue that the new law should be lighten burdens in a balanced and flexible way. One of the proposed ways to make it more flexible is by easing the harsh rules against hiring foreign labour.

According to Agostinho Vuma, president of the Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA), “new forms of earnings must be found for the formation of internal labour without harming those who really want to invest, even small investors – and not just looking at the big projects”.

Faced with criticism from employers and the concerns of workers, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Victoria Diogo said that the revision of the Labour Law aimed to respond to the current challenges of the market while guaranteeing fundamental labour rights.

The 145 page preliminary draft revision will be considered in the coming days by the Labour Advisory Committee before being submitted to the Council of Ministers and later to the Assembly of the Republic for approval.

By Edson Arante

Source: O País