The Organization of Mozambican Workers – Central Union (OTM-CS) expressed on Monday, August 4, its expectation that 2025 will bring salary adjustments, despite recognizing the difficulties many companies face following the post-election protests that have shaken the national economy. The issue will be addressed on a case-by-case basis at the negotiation table within the Labour Consultative Commission (CCT), whose sessions resumed today in Maputo.
“What would please any of us is to have a better salary that can support our family. We are certainly aware of the difficulties across all sectors. We will do everything possible to minimize those difficulties for workers,” said Damião Simango, OTM-CS representative, during the opening of the CCT’s second plenary session.
He emphasized that the debate on salary adjustment, which had been postponed in May due to economic instability, is now scheduled for August. The negotiation process, he added, will be based on the real capacity of each sector, given that many businesses are still in a recovery phase.
According to OTM-CS, its annual study on the basic needs basket shows that “the minimum wage needed to cover a family’s fundamental needs currently stands at 42,000 meticais (USD 659), representing a 6% increase from the 40,000 meticais (USD 628) estimated for 2024.” The union argues that workers should not continue bearing the burden of the economic crisis alone, and that updating the minimum wage is a matter of “social justice.”
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) said it does not yet have a concrete proposal for the new minimum wage, citing that the private sector is still suffering from the aftermath of the 2024 post-election protests. The organization estimates that nearly 1,000 companies were affected, with losses exceeding 30 billion meticais (USD 7.5 million) and the loss of 17,000 jobs.
Still, the CTA’s Head of Labour Affairs, Faruk Osman, reaffirmed the business sector’s commitment to the tripartite social dialogue process, stating that all parties must work together to find a balanced solution.
The last national minimum wage increase came into effect on April 1, 2024, ranging from 3% to 10.53%, depending on the sector. The updates covered eight different economic areas, with new values proposed by the Labour Consultative Commission and later approved by the Council of Ministers.
For example:
- The fishing sector minimum wage rose to 4,941 meticais (USD 77).
- In agriculture, livestock, hunting, and forestry, it increased to 6,338 meticais (USD 99).
- The industrial and semi-industrial sector saw a rise to 6,531 meticais (USD 102).
- For large-scale extractive industry, the minimum wage was set at 14,183 meticais (USD 222).
- In microfinance, it increased to 15,741 meticais (USD 246).
Source: Diário Económico
