The more than 600 employees, both permanent and seasonal, have once again closed the doors of the Nacala Municipal Council in Nampula. The work stoppage is aimed at forcing the mayor, Raúl Novinte, to pay two months' salary arrears.

This is the second time that the employees of the Nacala municipality have demanded payment of their salaries. The first strike began on January 4, 2023, when the workers demanded payment for November and December 2022, including the 13th salary.

The strike lasted 18 days and the city council was forced to reach an agreement with the employees, in which it promised to pay the two months' salary by February 28, making it clear that there was no capacity to pay the 13th salary.

According to local newspaper ikweli, in February the municipality only paid the November and January salaries. Since then, neither water has come nor gone. There have been meetings with President Raúl Novinte to find alternative ways of paying off the debt, but to no avail.

And when they saw all their attempts thwarted, they were forced to close their doors in all sectors of activity as a way of demanding their rights, at a time when some parents are struggling to put bread on the table and pay school fees.

The workers also denounced situations of humiliation and ignorance on the part of the municipality's managers. Since Raúl Novinte took office, all the allowances to which they were entitled have been withdrawn, from the May 1st festival, Civil Service Day, Nacala City Day, among other celebrations.

The salary delays are frustrating. There is another group of 127 employees called "food for work", who were hired to clean the city. They haven't received their allowances for more than eight months.