By Admore Marambanyika

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has slammed Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube over his call to unions to be “realistic” in salary demands based on the claim that the Zimbabwe Gold (ZIG) currency has “stabilised,” at a time the majority of workers are earning slave wages.

In a statement, ZCTU Secretary General Tirivanhu Marimo said Ncube was insensitive to the plight of workers and warned him from pronouncing statements that have potential to sabotage gains made through collective bargaining over the years.

“Minister Ncube’s appeal for workers to “align salary adjustment requests to inflation adjustments” demonstrates a profound disregard for the daily struggles and lived realities of Zimbabwean workers. His remarks ignore the severe erosion of purchasing power and the harsh economic conditions under which the labour force survives. We are extremely worried that the purported reduction of December 2025 USD year on year inflation figure of 12.39% to 4.1% in January 2026 is a result of serious manipulation. If this is so, there is every reason for every economic player to be worried. This distorts our statistics and serious impacts our ability to attract serious investors,’ said Marimo.

He said Ncube was hyping an artificial economic stability without a firm foundation.

‘The ZCTU notes that the purported stability of the ZIG is artificial and fragile. In an economy that remains overwhelmingly dollarised, this stability lacks guaranteed longevity. Ordinary Zimbabweans do not experience this so-called stability; instead, they live in constant fear of sudden devaluation. The ZIG fails the basic credibility test, as it is not accepted for critical transactions such as fuel, medicines, or passports, all predominantly priced in U.S. dollars. Furthermore, Minister Ncube seems unaware that Zimbabwe’s economy is approximately 84% informal and operates largely in U.S. dollars. In such an environment, no rational person would choose to preserve their value in a currency that lacks widespread acceptance and confidence,” he said.

Marimo warned Ncube against making pronouncements that have a negative bearing on collective bargaining.  

As the 2026 collective bargaining season commences, we urge all workers and negotiators to disregard the Minister’s misguided comments, which appear designed to pressure employers into paying salaries in the unstable ZIG. Instead, we must collectively negotiate for meaningful wage increases payable in a credible and worthy currency. The salary demands of labour are grounded in the actual economic conditions faced by workers, not in abstract theories that offer no tangible relief. Our position remains unchanged: workers must earn salaries above the poverty datum line in a functional and stable currency,” he said.