HARARE - Troubled national carrier Air Zimbabwe has started issuing out letters to employees asking them to go on forced leave in a bid to cut costs, sources at the airline said on Wednesday.
The letters asked employees to take time “off until the company recalls you”, said the sources speaking on condition they were not named because they were not authorised to speak on the matter.
Some of the workers were given the letters on Friday last week whilst others got them on Wednesday.
The exercise, which is targeted at the national carrier’s 1 400 workforce could eventually result in retrenchments at the cash-strapped airline.
“The disappointing thing is that although we are told that the exercise requires people to take two weeks off with only 50 percent benefits, speculation is rife that most of the people will eventually be retrenched,” said a worker at the airline.
“The exercise would eventually result in proper retrenchment of nearly 1 000 workers. Management does not want to be seen to be retrenching people for obvious political reasons.”
Earlier this month the airline’s chief executive officer Peter Chikumba told the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Infrastructure that Air Zimbabwe’s foreign debt had soared to US$28 million and the company was contemplating retrenching some of its staff because it was failing to service its huge salary bill.
The US$28 million debt excludes the US$50 million Zimbabwe’s national airline owes suppliers of Chinese made MA60 planes it acquired in 2005.
Sources said the airline has also been caught up in the global financial
crisis and a decline in tourist arrivals.
Chikumba could not be reached for comment as he was said to be in a meeting.
The airline operates a fleet of two long haul B767-200s, three B737-200 and
three short haul MA60 aircraft.
A shortage of foreign currency to buy spares for repairs, years of under-funding, mismanagement and downright corruption have crippled Air Zimbabwe, which was at one time one of Africa’s premier airlines.
Starved of cash for re-equipment, Air Zimbabwe uses mostly obsolete technology and equipment while nearly all its long haul planes are between 18 and 22 years old. ZimOnline
Post published in: Economy