Tsvangirai has previously warned that "growth without equity is not only unjust, it is fragile and even dangerous." The post MP Tsvangirai questions government over wages amid eonomic growth appeared first on newsday .
Norton legislator Richard Tsvangirai has directly challenged the government over the disconnect between Zimbabwe’s reported economic growth and the stagnant wages of ordinary workers.
During a session in the National Assembly, Tsvangirai pressed the government on why the wages of civil servants, including nurses, teachers, and Members of Parliament, do not reflect the country’s expanding economy.
He noted that the economy recorded 6% growth last year and is projected to grow by a similar margin this year, yet workers’ living conditions have not improved.”If the economy is expanding and the tax base is also expanding, why are workers’ wages not reflecting this economic growth?” Tsvangirai asked.
“What measures is the government taking to ensure that economic growth translates into better wages and improved living conditions of ordinary workers like nurses, teachers and the Members of Parliament as well?”
Tsvangirai has previously warned that “growth without equity is not only unjust, it is fragile and even dangerous.”
He has also pointed to the harsh reality for professionals, noting that junior lecturers who once earned US$2,250 now take home just US$230.In response, Transport minister Felix Mhona defended the government’s position.
He explained that GDP measures the performance of the entire economy, which includes the private sector, and does not automatically translate to government remuneration.
Mhona highlighted the government’s Agenda 2030 goals of achieving an Upper Middle-Income Society and stressed that increased production and foreign direct investment would eventually benefit ordinary citizens.
Most civil servants currently earn less than US$300 per month, against a poverty datum line pegged at around US$900.
The government has maintained that civil servants’ salaries must remain within 12% of GDP to avoid economic instability, but critics argue this approach fails to address the immediate needs of workers facing a cost of living that far outstrips their earnings.
The post MP Tsvangirai questions government over wages amid eonomic growth appeared first on newsday.
