ZCTU wants 4,000 tax free threshold in 2015 national budget

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions has proposed that Government increases the minimum taxable taxable threshold from K 3,000 to 4,000 following the rise in the cost of living.

ZCTU General Secretary Roy Mwaba told a media briefing that public service workers come from a long history of sacrifice which goes beyond the HIPC process.

The briefing was called to share the congress’s 2015 budget proposals.

Mr Mwaba said it is therefore important that workers are given some relief by increasing the tax free threshold.

He also condemned the Government’s imposition of a two year wage freeze subjecting public service workers to misery and economic slavery.

“We therefore reject the continued artificial suffering of public service workers that comes with the imposition of the wage freeze while the cost of living continues to rise,” Mr Mwaba said.

Mr Mwaba said there should be adequate allocations to settle outstanding arrears on leave travel benefits, repatriation allowances, other outstanding allowances and to correct the wage distortions that are offshoots of the harmonization measures.

“In view of the escalating bank lending rates, Government should introduce fixed interest rates for public service employees whose incomes have remained static in the face of increasing interest rates and high cost of living,” he said.
He added, “as the cost of accommodation keeps rising, government must consider providing social housing for public service workers because accommodation continues to take up a big share of workers incomes.”

Mr Mwaba said on pension reforms, Government must engage workers in consultations with major stakeholders in order to ensure that the final pension scheme will take into account the interest of the workers.