Mozambique’s main trade union federation, the OTM (Mozambican Workers’ Organisation) has suggested that, if the country’s current financial situation prevails, then the minimum wage should be increased twice this year.
OTM General Secretary Alexandre Munguambe made this call public on 3 March, during a meeting of the Labour Consultative Commission (CCT), the tripartite negotiating forum between the government, the unions, and the employers’ organisations.
The standard practice has been for the CCT to agree on a set of minimum wages by sector, which the government then puts into law. The new wages take effect as from 1 April each year. But the OTM is now suggesting that in times of high inflation, wages should be adjusted more frequently.
“We recall that in the past when annual inflation reached two digits, the minimum wage was increased twice a year”, said Munguambe. “If the current situation continues, there is every reason to return to this practice”.
In 2016, inflation rose, largely because of the depreciation of the Mozambican currency, the metical. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), based on the consumer price indices of the three largest cities (Maputo, Nampula and Beira), inflation for the year reached 25.27 per cent.
Munguambe stressed that workers’ living standards had tumbled. “2016 was characterised by politico-military instability, natural disasters, a financial crisis, depreciation of the metical and unsustainable foreign debts”, he said. “These factors raised the cost of living to unbearable levels, and worsened the poverty of the majority of Mozambicans”.
Labour Minister Vitoria Diogo, who chairs the CCT, gave a much rosier picture, claiming that 277,647 jobs were created in 2016. In addition, 106,749 citizens, mostly young, had attended professional training courses, thus increasing their chances of obtaining good jobs.
Source: AIM
OTM General Secretary Alexandre Munguambe made this call public on 3 March, during a meeting of the Labour Consultative Commission (CCT), the tripartite negotiating forum between the government, the unions, and the employers’ organisations.
The standard practice has been for the CCT to agree on a set of minimum wages by sector, which the government then puts into law. The new wages take effect as from 1 April each year. But the OTM is now suggesting that in times of high inflation, wages should be adjusted more frequently.
“We recall that in the past when annual inflation reached two digits, the minimum wage was increased twice a year”, said Munguambe. “If the current situation continues, there is every reason to return to this practice”.
In 2016, inflation rose, largely because of the depreciation of the Mozambican currency, the metical. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), based on the consumer price indices of the three largest cities (Maputo, Nampula and Beira), inflation for the year reached 25.27 per cent.
Munguambe stressed that workers’ living standards had tumbled. “2016 was characterised by politico-military instability, natural disasters, a financial crisis, depreciation of the metical and unsustainable foreign debts”, he said. “These factors raised the cost of living to unbearable levels, and worsened the poverty of the majority of Mozambicans”.
Labour Minister Vitoria Diogo, who chairs the CCT, gave a much rosier picture, claiming that 277,647 jobs were created in 2016. In addition, 106,749 citizens, mostly young, had attended professional training courses, thus increasing their chances of obtaining good jobs.
Source: AIM
posted from Bloggeroid
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