Maputo, March 23, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique's government announced on Monday the start of negotiations for wage adjustments in the country, appealing to the parties involved to "consider the balance" in the face of socioeconomic difficulties aggravated by extreme weather events and recent weak economic performance.
"The year began with a serious problem. Last year we had extreme climate events such as cyclone Chido and Dikeledi, and this year we have already started with the serious floods program," said Joaquim Siúta, spokesperson for the Ordinary Plenary Session of the Labour Consultative Commission, held on Monday in Maputo.
Therefore, he added, "what is expected in the debate about the (...) launch of the negotiation process, is that the social forces of the labour market consider the balance given the circumstances that economies at the global and international levels, and the local economy, are facing."
According to the official, the country's negative economic performance in 2025 – which recorded a contraction of 0.52% – was strongly influenced by the international geopolitical context and the economic effects of late 2024, with post-election protests in the country that destroyed hundreds of infrastructures, which, he said, "significantly affected the Mozambican business fabric."
"The social forces of the labour market will be decisive in this process; they will make the decision. The government will be doing its job, but effectively it is necessary to take into account the context in which we live. That is why, before the negotiation process, there is this presentation so that the parties go to the negotiations knowing the macroeconomic environment," Siúta said.
Boaventura Simbinde, the workers' spokesperson at the session, stated that he is entering the negotiations with the expectation of achieving "possible results," acknowledging the difficult socioeconomic context currently faced by the country.
"We know that we are going into negotiations with a very weakened economic and social situation in the country," he stated, noting the negative influence of the war in the Middle East on the domestic economy and the lack of payment to companies providing services to the State.
According to Boaventura, workers do not expect to have results equal to other years in these negotiations, but are now fighting to maintain jobs and to achieve "results that will make a difference, from current salaries to salaries after the negotiations."
The representative also stated that the minimum wage in the private sector in Mozambique falls short of the basic needs of workers and warned that some companies are in debt to their employees.
"If the minimum wage in Mozambique were roughly 12 thousand meticais [€162] or 15 thousand meticais [€202.6], it would be good, because in the current situation, the worker could have a bag of rice, charcoal, those basic household needs, and still manage to put their children in a reasonable condition to go to school," he added.
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