Massive price hikes not justified

Source: Massive price hikes not justified | The Financial Gazette December 21, 2017

By Own Correspondent

AS Zimbabweans enter the festive season, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has noted with grave concern the massive price hikes on almost all basic commodities.
We unreservedly condemn the enormous margins of the recent increases in prices that have seriously eroded the incomes of ordinary workers who are finding it hard to survive on their meagre wages.
Of major concern is the fact that some unscrupulous retailers are using a three-tier pricing system to swindle consumers. There are prices of those who use the United States dollar, the bond note and those who use electronic money.

In most cases those who use the electronic transfers are made to pay through the nose. The ZCTU therefore urges the government to immediately find ways of curtailing the current price madness and save Zimbabweans from dangerous predators who are masquerading as business people.

We also demand a 50 percent upward review of wages and salaries across the board to compensate for the increases in basic commodities.

The ZCTU also demands that government deals conclusively with root causes of this economic rot and profiteering and depart from offering piecemeal solutions that in the long run will cost the workers greatly.

Japhet Moyo
ZCTU