26 January 2008
Maputo — Workers of a long defunct Mozambican bus company, ROMON, are threatening to seize the premises from which the company once operated in the northern city of Nampula, reports Saturday's edition of the Maputo daily "Noticias".
ROMON was a state-owned transport company that went bankrupt 15 years ago. The workers claim the government still owes them compensation for the collapse of the company, and 18 months of back wages. They told "Noticias" they would resume demonstrations in a month's time, to remind the provincial government of their demands.
Over the past 15 years, governors have come and gone in Nampula, but the former ROMON workers have continued to demand money. At one time, the provincial government had declared that there was no room for any further negotiations and the workers were not owed anything.
But in 2006, when the current general secretary of the ruling Frelimo Party, Filipe Paunde, was governor of Nampula, he decided to look into the case, and called for more details.
The group of protestors told "Noticias" that they have documents proving they did not receive all the money owed - but they refused to show the paper these documents.
The Provincial Transport and Communications Directorate says it knows nothing about papers the workers say they signed concerning this money.
Nonetheless, a government commission, headed by Provincial Labour Director Antonio Amisse, is looking into the matter. It contains officials from the transport, finance and justice sectors.
Carlos Bolacha, leader of the commission of former ROMON workers, said the decision to resume their protests was precipitated by the death of several of their colleagues. He said last year they had held no demonstration because they had then believed the government was taking their claims seriously.
The former ROMON premises are currently occupied by a private bus company, Mecula Transport, one of whose shareholders is former defence minister Alberto Chipande.
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