Workers' Rights in Mozambique: A Practical List

Workers' rights in Mozambique are guaranteed by Labour Law 13/2023 (in force since 21 February 2024): a written contract, pay never below the sector minimum, 48 hours per week, annual leave, maternity and paternity leave, personality rights, and dismissal only with cause and due process. Knowing this list is the difference between being exploited and being respected — and between complaining blindly and making a grounded claim.

This guide is a practical list: each right with its legal reference, what it means in practice, and what to do when it is violated. It is not legal advice for complex cases — it is the starting roadmap every Mozambican worker should have.

The short answer

Written contract: mandatory, specifying role, location, duration, and remuneration (art. 39). Working without a contract does not negate your rights.
Minimum wage: each sector has its own legal floor — in 2026, from 4.991,09 MT (kapenta fishing) up to 20.361,43 MT (banking); public service, 8.758,00 MT (TSU).
Work schedule: 48 weekly hours and 8 daily hours (art. 93); overtime is compensated according to the law.
Annual leave: 12 working days in the 1st year, 30 days from the 2nd year onward (art. 108) — fully paid, excluding public holidays and official bridge days.
Leave: 90 days maternity leave (may begin 20 days prior to childbirth), 7 days paternity leave (arts. 14-15).
Dignity: life, physical and moral integrity, honor, reputation, privacy, and personal image are protected rights of personality (art. 7); harassment carries specific penalties.
Dismissal: allowed only with just cause or legal grounds, following due process — otherwise, compensation is 45 days per year of service.

workers' rights in Mozambique: staff at an office reception in Maputo

Written contract: the right that protects all others

The employment contract must be in writing and must include the identification of the parties, professional category and duties, work location, duration, amount and frequency of remuneration, and start date (Art. 39). Exception: contracts of less than 90 days for specific tasks may be verbal.

The point most workers overlook: the lack of a written contract does not invalidate the relationship. If you perform work under subordination and for remuneration, a contract exists under the law — presumed — and responsibility for the lack of documentation lies with the employer.

In practice, however, making a claim without a contract means fighting at an evidentiary disadvantage: request your contract from day one, keep your signed copy, and keep pay slips or proof of payment.

Fair pay: the legal minimum for your sector

No Mozambican company may pay below the minimum wage for its sector. The 2026 rates (in effect since 1 April) set the minimums for all 19 sectors: banking pays at least 20.361,43 MT; manufacturing, 10.622,50 MT; construction, 8.652,00 MT; private security, 8.690,00 MT; agriculture, 7.072,00 MT.

In the public service, the minimum under the Single Salary Scale is 8.758,00 MT. The full table of all 19 rates is in the Guide.

The minimum wage is the floor — not the ceiling. And it is not all you receive: allowances such as transport and food, where due, have their own rules (the guide on salary allowances explains what the law provides).

From gross pay, 3% INSS is deducted from the employee along with IRPS tax under the progressive scale from 10% to 32% — the guide on net vs gross salary shows a complete calculation example.

human resources officer explaining rights to a Mozambican worker

Working hours, rest, and annual leave

Standard working hours are 48 hours per week and 8 hours per day (art. 93). Weekly rest, national holidays, and discretionary days off are rights — and are not to be confused with annual leave: the 12 working days in the first year and the 30 days from the second year onwards (art. 108) are counted separately from these days.

If your schedule is non-standard (shifts, rotation), the law also regulates it — the shift rotation system allows up to 12 hours of actual work per day, but with guaranteed compensatory rest and never replacing annual leave (art. 96). Working "because the company needs it" without compensation is not flexibility: it is a violation.

Dignity at work: more than just a salary

Law 13/2023 dedicated its first articles to the individual worker: the right to life, physical and moral integrity, honor, good reputation, privacy, and image (art. 7). Translated into daily life:

No one may attack, humiliate, or threaten a worker — neither verbally, nor through gestures, nor by text message.
Harassment (sexual or psychological) has its own specific concept and penalties under the new law — it is neither a "boss's joke" nor "normal pressure".
Evidence obtained through remote surveillance is void if you were not notified in writing — your correspondence and privacy have legal protection.
Discrimination (based on origin, gender, religion, opinion, union membership) is prohibited in access to employment and during the employment relationship (art. 6).

Job security: dismissal with rules

An open-ended contract cannot be terminated unilaterally without due process. Without just cause, an employer who terminates the contract must provide compensation of 45 days of salary for each year of service.

Collective dismissal (more than 8 workers in micro/small enterprises; more than 10 in medium/large ones) requires negotiation with the trade union for up to 30 days. Abuse of disciplinary power—sanctioning anyone who reports rights violations or refuses illegal orders—is unlawful, giving rise to reinstatement or compensation when it results in dismissal.

Special protections: pregnant or breastfeeding employees cannot have their contract terminated during pregnancy and up to 1 year after the end of maternity leave (except upon contract expiry or lawful dismissal); and disciplinary offences expire after 6 months, with the limitation period suspended during leave or illness.

When a right is violated: what to do

Document everything: keep messages, receipts, schedules, witnesses. Evidence decides labor disputes.
Raise the issue internally first: in writing, to the employer, with a factual description of the problem and a concrete request.
External escalation: Labor Inspectorate (public supervisory body), company or sector trade union, and — as a last resort — labor courts.
Deadlines matter: disciplinary and contractual claims have legal deadlines; do not let months pass without taking action.

How Inademy helps you

Many violations start with a job listing that hides working conditions.

At Inademy, job listings display requirements, location, and salary when available — so you enter an employment relationship with information, not surprises. The free profile with a PDF CV and new job alerts via email and WhatsApp complete the tool, and the Inademy Guide continues to translate the law into practical language, topic by topic.

Where these numbers come from

Law No. 13/2023, of 25 August (Labour Law), in force 21/02/2024 — arts. 6, 7, 14-15, 39, 43-48, 66, 73-75, 93, 96, 108 and termination regime (135-147), according to analysis by ASG Advogados, JLA Advogados and RSM Moçambique (accessed 09/2026).
Minimum wages 2026 (19 sectors; in force 01/04/2026) — AIM, 28/04/2026; TSU 8.758,00 MT (set in 2022).
Employee INSS 3% and progressive IRPS 10%-32% — published article from Guia Inademy on deductions.

What to do when a right is violated

When a right is violated, a worker can take three paths: speak with the company, report it to the Labour Inspectorate, or pursue legal action.

Each path has its own timeline and evidence. Always keep the contract, receipts, and communications. This documentation supports the claim.

In summary, workers have a practical list of rights, and the law provides tools to enforce them. This is what sustains the employment relationship.

Frequently asked questions

I have been working without a contract for months. Have I lost my rights?

No. The law presumes an employment contract exists whenever work is performed under subordination and for remuneration — the lack of a written contract is the employer's responsibility. Start by requesting a written contract; if there is resistance, the Labour Inspectorate is the next step.

Can my employer make deductions "for the company fund"?

Deductions not authorized by law (INSS 3%, IRPS, written agreed advances) are illegal. Fines and disciplinary deductions must follow the legal disciplinary procedure — never the employer's unilateral decision.

Can I be dismissed for asserting my rights?

Reporting a violation of rights is a right. Penalising anyone who claims their rights constitutes an abuse of disciplinary power, which the law punishes — and a dismissal in this context gives grounds for reinstatement or compensation.

I work more than 48 hours a week and never receive compensation. What should I do?

Document your hours (logs, messages, witnesses) and submit a written complaint to your employer. If it persists, the Labour Inspectorate is the competent body. Overtime work is governed by law — it is never free labor.

Can I be dismissed while pregnant?

The contract of a pregnant or breastfeeding employee cannot be terminated during pregnancy and up to 1 year after the end of maternity leave, except upon contract expiration or lawful dismissal in accordance with the law. A dismissal "because you are pregnant" is illegal.

In short, what to do today

If you don't have a written contract, request it in writing this week — and keep the signed copy.
Compare your salary with your sector's minimum in the 2026 table (and your role with your contract).
Check your leave record: 12 days in the 1st year, 30 from the 2nd, excluding public holidays.
Start a folder for employment documents (payslips, messages, schedules) — before you need it.
If you're looking for a new opportunity, create a free profile on Inademy and activate email and WhatsApp alerts.
Share this list with colleagues — a market where everyone knows their rights is a fairer market.

Official source: Law No. 13/2023 (Labour Law) is available as a PDF on the website of Mozambique's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo): official text (PDF).