Strikes, sabotage at Xinavane plantation

Mozambique: wildcats and sabotage on the sugar cane plantations
libcom.org - London,UK
600 seasonal workers at the Xinavane sugar plantation in Maputo province of Mozambique have been on wildcat strike since last Friday (15th February). The workers are demanding a wage increase of over 100%, from 1,100 to 2,500 meticais (from US$46 to US$104), as well as protective clothing, overtime for working on Sundays and the right to a day off in the event of the death of a family member. Last Friday, workers have caused serious damage to the company offices and the homes of company managers as well as set 20 hectares of sugar cane ablaze. The Friday and Saturday clashes resulted in injuries to 20 people, five of whom had to be transferred to Maputo Central Hospital ... Mozambique's main trade union federation, the OTM, has distanced itself from the wildcat strike. A statement issued by the OTM on Monday said that the strikers had acted without any advance warning and stressed that it "distances itself from wildcat strikes and acts of vandalism, which only endanger continued production and also the maintenance of jobs" ...