Privatização e racionalização da força de trabalho: impacto económico e social

Abstract

The privatization process in Mozambique has raised many concerns, not only on the part of the workers directly affected, but also on the part of various institutions, non-governmental organizations and the Government itself. It was in recognition of the problems caused by the process that in 1995 the Government, with the support of the World Bank, decided to undertake a study to evaluate the impact of the transfer of a large part of the state-owned enterprises to the private sector. It emerged from the study that labor issues related to privatization (in particular mass layoffs of workers) were uncontroversial topics in the media and in trade unions. "The most common scenario in these circumstances has been that the less qualified and less educated are the ones who suffer the consequences of the workforce reductions, and that they have little prospect of finding jobs in the formal sector again. This critical situation is exacerbated by a variety of policies ranging from high prices for the purchase of basic necessities to housing" (Government and World Bank Document, 1996:2). The company Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) started years ago a deep process of institutional restructuring, namely, corporate restructuring, rationalization of the workforce and assets, concession to private management of the port and railroad systems, and diversification of activities.