Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) is under fire from employees after it awarded vehicle loans worth ZWL200 million to its top management at a time employees are earning sub-economic salaries, Zim Morning Post can report.
Workers at the tax authority have embarked on a low intensity strike to force management to review their salaries most of which are pegged at ZWL$6,000.
As at May 2020, the Total Consumption Poverty Line for an average of five persons per household was ZWL$8,484.00, according to Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency.
“How many of us can stand and say my salary is enough to sustain my basic needs for the whole month. We can’t continue as workers and be abused because we have chosen to be silent,” a Zimra employee can be heard saying in a voice note to other employees calling for protest.
“If you know that your salary is not enough to buy bread and meat this Friday is an opportunity to have your grievances be heard, just stay at home… Let’s have those managers clear vehicles and perform other duties this Friday since they just got ZWL1.2 million in loan vehicles and (are) netting ZWL$100 000 every month whilst we are getting these ZWL$60000 which are useless,” the employee added.
Sources within the tax authority said ZIMRA’s top management team was last week each awarded vehicle loans ranging between ZWL$1.2 million and ZWL$1.9 million depending on their grades.
The workers claim the vehicle loans are unjustified more so as the tax authority is failing to meet the welfare of its workers.
“What angers us as workers is that when we asked for salary increment in May we were given a minimum of ZWL$3000 whilst the management was paid ZWL$100 000 each,” said an aggrieved ZIMRA employee.
“As if that was not enough the management was this week given vehicle loans yet the livelihood of the rest of employees is deteriorating every day.”
Workers through the Zimbabwe Revenue & Allied Workers Trade Union (ZIMRATU) had suggested a salary increment of ZWL$ 20, 362 for the lowest paid worker and US$239 for the allowances.
However, management turned down the offer awarding the lowest paid worker ZWL$3,370.37.
Zimra has since issued a statement saying there are misleading reports that the employees did not report for duty at the Beitbridge border post.
