Maputo, Mozambique — Mozambican unions and employers have reached virtual agreement over the level of the forthcoming increase in the statutory minimum wage.

Discussions in the tripartite negotiating forum between the government, the employers' associations and the trade unions have narrowed the difference to just two per cent.

The unions want an increase of 18 percent, while the employers have called for just 16 percent. But if the government, which also happens to be the biggest employer has the final say, it is likely that the figure will be 17 percent.

The government is likely to decide the issue on Tuesday during the weekly cabinet meeting.

The current minimum industrial wage stands at 568,980 meticais (28.9 US dollars) a month. Under the unions' proposal, this would rise to 671,396 meticais (34 dollars), while the employers' proposal amounts to 660,016 meticais (33.5 dollars) a month.

The Secretary General of the larger of the two trade union federations, the OTM, Joaquim Fanheiro, expressed satisfaction at the agreement.

Fanheiro told journalists that the unions had gone to the negotiating table with a proposal for a 25 per cent rise in the minimum wage, while the employers had initially offered only 9.6 per cent.

Egaz Mussanhane, the representative of the employers, also expressed satisfaction at the openness that marked the debates in the tripartite forum.

At the next negotiating session, tabled for next week, the forum will debate the wage gap existing between the agricultural and industrial sectors.

The minimum wage in agriculture is only 382,625 meticais (19.4 dollars) a month. Even with an 18 percent increase, this wage would only rise to 451,498 meticais.