Employment
Lei Geral do Trabalho with written contracts and compensation on dismissal
The Lei Geral do Trabalho (Lei 6/2019) governs employment, requiring written contracts, setting maximum working hours and providing compensation on dismissal without just cause. The Ministry of Labour inspectorate supervises, and the public sector is the dominant formal employer.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The labour inspectorate supervises; the Tribunal de Primeira Instância adjudicates labour disputes.
- Deadline — Probation period: statutory maximum by category of work
- Deadline — Dismissal compensation: scaled by years of service
Governing law
- Lei Geral do TrabalhoLei 6/2019
- Lei da Segurança Social
In practice
With a very small formal private sector, São Toméan employment law operates mainly on public-sector and tourism employment, and collective bargaining is correspondingly limited.