The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) has called upon the government to pay a US$100 cushion to “vulnerable” workers during the national lockdown.
Basing on the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat)’s 2019 Labour Force And Child Labour Survey report released last month, ZCTU asserts that 98% of the country’s 14,2 million citizens were vulnerable to direct and indirect shocks of COVID-19.
The union’s proposal means that the government needs US$276 379 900 or nearly $7 billion to pay a US$100 cushion to about 95,4% of the employed population. ZCTU said:
Given the rise in urban poverty and the fact that urban citizens pay for almost all services (rentals, water, electricity, etc) as compared to rural households, it may be prudent to remember this dimension as government seeks to mitigate the impact of Covid-19, including the lockdown.
Additionally, the government should expedite addressing mealie-meal shortages in the suburbs in order to avoid long queues which can be a potential for the spread of COVID-19 infections. There have been unjustified price increases of basic commodities further deepening the suffering of citizens.
The government has currently set aside $600 million which translate to 200 Zimbabwe dollars or US$8 for each of the one million vulnerable workers over the next three months.
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