Labour force blasts govt over 2015 national budget

THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has blasted government failure to engage key stakeholders in the drafting of the 2015 National Budget saying the document would be nothing, but a damp squib as government was not committed to consulting the labour force.

Addressing journalists in the capital yesterday, ZCTU secretary-general Japhet Moyo said government's unwillingness to legalise operations of the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF), which brings together government, labour and business, was worrisome.

"We are worried about the economy as the government is only paying lip service to the concept of consultations and we are likely to see 80% of the budget going to recurrent expenditure against advice from us that more resources should be channelled towards infrastructure development," Moyo said.

Since 2009, government's wage bill has increased to an unsustainable 76% of the National Budget. Foreign travel and subsistence allowance and budgets for service vehicles have in some instances been bigger than budgets for some line ministries.

"We would love to have budget consultations done at TNF level, but it is unfortunate that it remains an informal arrangement as it has no legislative authority," Moyo said.

TNF has largely remained a voluntary organisation since its formation in the early 2000s with no powers to make binding resolutions.

Moyo urged Treasury to formulate a pro-poor budget and craft policies that cater for the marginalised members of society.

In his mid-term fiscal review statement presented in September, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa raised duty on basic commodities and introduced a raft of other punitive tax measures which hit the poor most.

Moyo urged government to allocate more resources towards recapitalisation of industry, construction of new communication, water and energy infrastructure to spur economic recovery.

He also has slammed the Zanu PF government for being reluctant to resolve the doctors' strike, which ended yesterday.

He said it was "ridiculous for the government to think that doctors would resume work on the back of empty promises".

"ZCTU is greatly disturbed by the apparent impasse in the labour dispute between the government and striking doctors that is causing untold suffering to ordinary Zimbabweans, as the strike has paralysed operations at State-run hospitals," he said.