GOVERNMENT has announced a flat non-taxable Covid-19 allowance of US$75 for civil servants and increased their salaries by 50 percent while pensioners who retired from the civil service will also get a flat non-taxable Covid-19 allowance of US$30 per month.

The lowest paid Government worker earns about $3 000 before deductions. However, nurses this month received their June salaries minus $2 000 from around $6 000 in May while other civil servants received salaries less $490 or more.

According to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ), the monthly low-income urban family budget for a family of six rose to $8 725 last month, up from $4 378 in January.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has rejected the salary review and the new USD allowance.

Using their official Twitter handle, ZCTU said the government’s offer came a little too late and dismissed it as “Mazepe” which metaphorically likens the government’s offer to baby food which adults cant eat to satiety.

ZCTU tweeted:

Too late, too little We need an inclusive economic reform agenda that addresses economic fundamentals. Workers deserve decent salaries MAZEPE aya