The government assures that it is continuing to pay overtime subsidies to teachers and health professionals and has therefore asked beneficiaries for “a little more patience and understanding.”
According to government spokesperson Inocêncio Impissa, the Executive is implementing proportional payment methods, stressing that “it is not possible to pay the full amount owed.”
Quoted by the Mozambican News Agency (AIM), Impissa acknowledged the concerns of all professionals and admitted that “everyone has the same right.” “The upcoming tranches will go to those who didn’t receive payments in the first phase, as more people are still waiting in line. No one will receive the entire amount they are owed, but at least part of it. Therefore, people should not expect to receive astronomical amounts, because the government cannot pay the full debt all at once,” he clarified.
Recently, the government, through the Ministry of Health, met with a group of doctors from Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), in an attempt to prevent an imminent strike triggered by accumulated debts related to unpaid overtime, according to Lusa news agency.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Health, Ussene Hilário Isse, as well as the hospital’s management. According to a spokesperson for the doctors, the professionals submitted their proposal for the regularization of the overdue payments and are now awaiting a response from the authorities by the end of the day.
Health professionals at the country’s largest hospital announced, at the end of May, their intention to suspend all overtime work starting June 1st — including on holidays and weekends — until the debt, now 13 months overdue, is settled. The strike threat was formalized in a letter sent to the hospital’s general director.
Meanwhile, the United and Solidary Health Professionals Association of Mozambique (APSUSM) announced the extension of the strike that began on April 17, prolonging it for an additional 30 days. According to a statement from the association, the decision resulted from a lack of progress in negotiations with the government, particularly concerning overtime payments, shift allowances, and other unresolved demands.
Reasons Behind the Demands
For the past three years, APSUSM has demanded that the government supply hospitals with medication, as in some cases patients are forced to buy them themselves. The association also calls for the purchase of hospital beds.
Other demands include addressing the “lack of food,” equipping ambulances with emergency materials, and providing non-disposable personal protective equipment (PPE), the absence of which has forced staff to purchase them with their own money. Additionally, the association is seeking better integration under the Unified Salary Table (TSU).
In March, the Minister of Health, Ussene Isse, warned that a potential strike in the sector would be “a disaster” and urged professionals to engage in dialogue.
The National Health System has faced several periods of strain in recent years due to staff strikes, initially called by the Mozambican Medical Association (AMM), and later by APSUSM, which represents around 65,000 health professionals from various departments, mainly demanding better working conditions.
The country has a total of 1,778 health units, of which 107 are health posts, three are specialized hospitals, four are central hospitals, seven are general hospitals, seven are provincial, 22 are rural, and 47 are district hospitals, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health.
Source: Diário Económico
