Maputo, 4 Apr (AIM) – A group of about 60 teachers from the Machava Sede Secondary School, in the Southern Mozambican city of Matola, have decided go on strike for seven days in protest at the non-payment of overtime since 2022.
As a result of the strike, about 12,000 pupils will be affected.
“We decided to stop the classes in protest at the non-payment of overtime for the years 2022 and 2023/24, but mainly for the year 2022, due to the fact that most of the schools belonging to Matola Municipality have already been paid and ours has been excluded from the list”, a spokesperson for the group, cited in Thursday’s issue of the independent newheet “Carta de Mocambique”, said.
The teachers say they held a meeting on Tuesday at which they decided to go on strike, “if the government doesn’t solve our problem because we are also on the list of teachers who have gone a long time without being paid overtime”.
The teachers also claim to have stopped the classes because overcrowding has been harming the quality of education, taking into account that there are classes with over 100 pupils in the same room.
“We already tried to find peaceful solutions, but without success”, the teachers say.
This is not the first time that teachers have decided to stop classes this year. In February, Mozambique’s National Teachers’ Association (ANAPRO) threatened to boycott lessons at the second shift, as well as to stop working any overtime, if the government does not pay them 13 months of overtime which they claim are in arrears.
(AIM)
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