Mozambique : Workers protest Chinese company’s poor working conditions

Unjust wages, inadequate transportation, poor sanitation, absence of appropriate workers’ categorisation, non-compliance with workplace standards, and irregular hiring quotas and dismissal procedures are some of the many issues that compelled workers of Dingsheng Minerals, a Chinese company in Mozambique, to plan concerted actions to press for better working conditions. 

According to SINTICIM General Secretary Jeremias Timana, who is also the president of the Confederation of Independent and Free Trade Unions of Mozambique (CONSILMO), the Labour Mediation and Arbitration Commission (COMAL) represented by its president, Olga Manjate, and the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security Rolinho Manuel Farnela organised a worksite visit to the company to personally look into the issues raised by the workers and find ways to resolve the labour dispute. The visit was organised amidst plans by workers to hold concerted actions including work stoppages and a strike action.  

The visit was successful in deescalating the tension between workers and the management as COMAL tries to mediate a peaceful and just resolution to the dispute. BWI Regional Representative Crecentia Mofokeng  encouraged SINTICIM members to stand firm on the defence and protection of their rights  and  called on Dingsheng Minerals  to adhere to international labour standards and Mozambique’s labour laws.