“There is a misinterpretation and we will continue to fight for the correct interpretation of the law and its applicability,” said Gustavo Alves, one of approximately 50 teachers participating in the strike that began today, outside EPM in Maputo.
The teachers express feelings of injustice and disappointment with the government, accusing it of failing to provide agreed-upon support, while the government clarified that the support for teacher installation is granted only once.
The EPM stated that despite the protest, classes are proceeding as usual.
Outside the school entrance this morning, marking the beginning of the strike and holding signs with messages such as “seriousness, respect, and legality,” teachers explained that their demands relate to delays or lack of payment for installation support, differential treatment between contracted and staffed teachers, and the non-payment of financial compensation due to contracted teachers who continue to work in the 2025/2026 academic year.
They also demand payment for commencement travel for contracted teachers, indicating that the government’s interpretation of the law is “wrong.”
“The issue concerning teachers who were under mobility is clear—statutory mobility ended, the teachers applied for a new competition with different laws and rules, and starting from September 1, the law stipulates that all appointed teachers are entitled to those benefits,” said Gustavo Alves.
“If the government had this interpretation that it appeals to, it should have been safeguarded, and the legislator did not intend this case, rightly so, understanding that the spirit of the law is to create equality for all teachers, which is clear in the spirit of the law and now we cannot have other interpretations,” added the teacher.
They argue that under the new decree-law, in effect since September 1, teachers from the internal competition’s cadre, who were under statutory mobility, are entitled to an installation subsidy after joining the cadre. The same applies to teachers from the external competition’s cadre of the previous and current academic year, who are also entitled to financial compensation retroactive to the previous academic year and should have been paid at the start of this decree-law, as explained.
“We received this information from the Ministry and naturally it must be taken into account that the decree-law that promulgated this consciously creates equity among teachers who, from September 1, participate or are placed under that decree-law and makes no mention of past matters,” said Gustavo Alves, noting that this document clearly establishes new rights and duties for teachers.
“The issue the government is raising regarding a single payment refers to teachers who were under statutory mobility, and when that bond ended, those benefits ended as well, and they had to compete under specific conditions, assuming commitments and changing their labor perspective and applied in good faith that the decree-law, being clear, entitled them to everything written there,” he noted.
Ana Paula Silveira, a teacher at EPM for seven years, also criticized the government’s “multiple interpretations” of the law, calling for adherence to the law and openness to dialogue: “We were forced to compete, hence the legal situation of teacher placement in Portuguese Schools Abroad changed, we are now cadre teachers and linked to this cadre and, under this new legal situation, the decree-law initiates a series of guarantees and support.”
“Yes, it was the government that wrote the law, it must be followed as it is written. They may regret it, but they have to comply,” she concluded.
