The payment of overtime and second class allowances to teachers is still the subject of much debate and dispute. In this regard, the Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi, reiterated that everything is being done as the process of verifying the conformity of actual working time is finalised in order to guarantee the fairness of the remuneration.
At a meeting with representatives of the National Teachers‘ Organisation (ONP), on the occasion of National Teachers’ Day, marked on Saturday 12 October, the head of state stressed that the government is committed to completing the process and settling the existing debts.
In his speech, Nyusi highlighted the role of teachers in shaping society, from politicians, nurses and doctors to engineers, architects and drivers, emphasising that educators contribute to reducing illiteracy and that 99% of children have access to school.
‘In recent times, classrooms have been built, teachers trained and furniture put in place through the programme to reduce classes sitting on the floor. The challenge is to reach a greater number of Mozambicans with access to education, because investing in this sector is something very important that the country can do,’ he said.
The government official guaranteed that the Executive is working to create safe conditions for the resumption of classes in the areas affected by terrorism in Cabo Delgado province, emphasising the need to ensure the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process in that region.
In April, the government announced that it had already paid more than half of the overtime owed. This amounts to 323.4 million meticais, corresponding to 70 per cent of the 457.6 million meticals owed to various civil servants across the country.
‘So far, and of the amount calculated, around 70 per cent has already been paid at national level,’ said the Prime Minister, Adriano Maleiane, explaining the existence of overtime processes being checked at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which don’t show clear evidence of their realisation.
