Monday’s strike cost 22 million dollars

Maputo, 23 Oct (AIM) – The Confederation of Mozambican Business Associations (CTA) claims that the country lost 1.4 billion meticais (about 22 million US dollars), due to the paralysis of activities during last Monday’s “national general strike”, called by the independent presidential candidate, Venancio Mondlane.

Speaking at a Wednesday press conference in Maputo the CTA chairperson, Agostinho Vuma, said the informal sector was worst hit with a stoppage of around 90 per cent.

This was almost certainly due to lack of transport. Many bus operators took their vehicles off the roads on Monday, for fear that they might be attacked. With clients unable or unwilling to more round Maputo, many informal stallholders shut down for the day.

Vuma said the economic losses for the working class and their families, particularly young people, were enormous “at a time when the country is facing the problem of unemployment”.

Vuma was also worried that the clashes between demonstrators and police on Monday would have an impact on Mozambique’s international image, and keep tourists away. He feared that tourism revenues would suffer losses of 50 million US dollars

A press release from the CTA noted that on Monday private education shut down completely, and most of Maputo’s restaurants were closed. In the Beluluane industrial park, the largest industrial park in the country, on the outskirts of the capital, less than 50 per cent of the companies were open.

“The companies themselves did not close”, said the CTA, “but they report that their workers faced movement difficulties due to the limited availability of transport”.

But the strike did not affect the entire country. In the northern province of Niassa, the situation was described as “calm” with minor stoppages. The neighbouring province of Nampula was also quiet – but that was probably because many institutions, particularly shops, decided not to open.

In the southern province of Inhambane and Gaza, the situation was reported as calm, with workplaces opening and closing as usual.

Thus Mondlane’s claim that the strike brought 95 per cent of business activities to a standstill was certainly a gross exaggeration. However, the economy did take a serious blow, leading the CTA to plead for an end to the disturbances.

Private business wants peace, said the CTA, “so that the companies can continue to operate and provide jobs and sustenance for Mozambican families”.

Although the right to strike is enshrined in the Mozambican Constitution, the CTA argued that it should only be used as a last resort, when there was no further room for negotiation.
(AIM)
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