Mozambique: Metallurgy workers’ union guarantees negotiations for Mozal reopening

The National Union of Workers in the Metallurgy, Metalworking, and Energy Industry of Mozambique, SINTIME, guarantees that it is in negotiations with the Mozal aluminum smelter, the country’s largest industry, to resume operations after the closure of its activities on March 15. The suspension of the activities of the Mozal aluminum smelter affected more than 5,000 workers, and therefore, the general secretary of the National Union of Workers in the Metallurgy, Metalworking, and Energy Industry (SINTIME), Américo Macamo, said that a dialogue for the reopening of the country’s largest industry is underway. “We are fighting for the company to be reopened; we are also in talks with many other entities in order to create conditions to accommodate these comrades.

Negotiations are moving forward, although not at that desirable pace, but they are moving forward,” the unionist stated on the sidelines of the May 1st parades in Maputo. Américo Macamo did not provide deadlines for achieving the objectives but guaranteed that work is also being done so that the production units that provided services to Mozal can compensate their workers. “We are here facing about 5,000 workers; we are talking about 19 to 20 production units that were providing services to Mozal,” the union leader underlined. After 25 years of operation, Mozal suspended its activities in Mozambique on March 15, which was considered by many economic sectors as an “earthquake.” The company, which operated in the district of Boane, in Maputo province, in the south of the country, pointed to the lack of energy in sufficient quantity and the impossibility of bearing its costs to continue operating.