The Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the third party with parliamentary seats, on Friday criticised the late announcement of the 13th salary cut for the civil service this year, just a few days before Christmas.
“It is not correct and fair, with three or four days until Christmas, to come up with this announcement,” said Lutero Simango, leader of the MDM, during a press conference in Maputo.
Mozambican head of state Filipe Nyusi announced on Tuesday that the government will not pay the 13th salary for the civil service this year due to budget constraints.
In addition to the weight of the war against rebels in northern Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi justified the decision not to pay the 13th salary with the budgetary impact of the controversial revision of salary scales in the civil service.
The MDM criticised the fact that during the justification and conclusions on the application of the new salary scale, it was not said, “at any time, to members of parliament and the public in general, that its implementation would affect the 13th” salary.
At the time, “questions were also asked about the budgetary impact [of the new salary scale] and they said that everything was fine,” Lutero Simango said, noting that “there is no government vision”.
“We are facing a government that does not know what will happen tomorrow, there is no governing vision and that is serious,” the party stressed.
The implementation of the new single salary scale (TSU) is being strongly contested by several professional groups, including judges, teachers and doctors, the latter of whom were on a 21-day strike, which was suspended on Thursday.
Lusa
