Bruce Sibanda, AfricaNews reporter in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's struggling national airline, Air Zimbabwe has resolved to introduce short working hours in a bid to reduce the wage bill by 50 percent after it emerged this week that it was facing operations constrains. It takes effect from June 1.
In an internal circular number 26 of 2009 written on May 19, Air Zimbabwe said: "The situation has not improved quickly and Air Zimbabwe is now unable to meet its expenditure including salaries. In discussions held with representative employee bodies, it has been agreed to reduce the salary bill by 50 percent in addition to other costs reduction and revenue generation measures already implemented."
It added: "In order to give effect to this arrangement members of staff are advised that Air Zimbabwe will introduce shift and short time work with effect from June 1, 2009. Given the complexity of the exercise are the realities of the challenges the Airline requests and expects understanding from all employees in the interest of all staff."
On Monday the Chief Executive Officer Dr Peter Chikumba told the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Infrastructure that Air Zimbabwe’s foreign debt stood at close to US$28 million. It excludes the US$50 million it owes suppliers of Chinese made MA60 it acquired in 2005, he said.
The two acquired planes where supplemented by a third donated to operate domestic and short regional routes.
Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti when presetting his review national budget said Air Zimbabwe was making weekly appeal of US$1 million to the treasury. The latest move comes after Air Zimbabwe failed to send half of its workers on unpaid leave from May 1.
Insiders at the airliner this week said moral is low among staff due to uncertainty on the pending forced leave.
“As per the original plan, the Chief Executive Officer Dr Peter Chikumba drew up a list of people to be affected and forwarded it to the human resources to write letters,” said the source. “Letters where to be handed over on Thursday 30 April at the main entrance gate but workers got wind of the plan and hired lawyers.”
The lawyers say the troubled company is flouting labour regulations because no employee can go on more than one month unpaid leave. In 2005, Air Zimbabwe made some aviation history by flying back to Harare from Dubai with one passenger.
AFCON: 46 hurt in Zambia victory celebrations09/02
African Peer Review Mechanism making progress08/02
Combating HIV infections among African women08/02
Legume cultivation booms in Western Kenya07/02
Malawi vendors chase out Chinese07/02
Zim: Informal sector urged to join HIV battle05/02
Elections: Wole Soyinka warns Mugabe, Wade03/02
AU elections rescheduled for June in Malawi01/02
Senegal in turmoil as protest intensifies01/02
Zimbabwe’s inflation still favourable -…01/02
AFCON 2012: Sudan qualifies after four decades31/01
Senegalese opposition to intensify protests31/01
Malawi: Rights coalition condemn stripping of…30/01
Kenya to deworm five million children annually30/01
Benin’s Yayi Boni is AU’s new…30/01
