Business / Companies
Air Zimbabwe's woes mount
19 Sep 2014 at 02:20hrs | Views
The Supreme Court judgment allowing a former Air Zimbabwe manager, Dr Stephen Nhuta, to attach 29 vehicles to recover his dues has opened floodgates for the airline with more workers who had been holding on to their writs of execution jostling to attach more property.
Last week Dr Nhuta attached 29 vehicles to recover his outstanding salaries, allowances and retrenchment package amounting to $140 000.
Four managers who were retrenched without benefits in 2010 recently obtained a writ of execution in a bid to recover their outstanding salaries and allowances to the tune of $240 018.
Some 409 workers who were illegally retrenched by the airline in 2012 got the green light to attach more property to realise $420 546 in outstanding salaries and allowances that accrued during their retrenchment.
Labour Court president Ms Lilian Hove in 2013 declared the retrenchment of the 409 workers illegal before ordering their reinstatement.
The 409 now want their outstanding payments while back at work.
A leading labour law firm in Harare, Matskikidze and Mucheche Legal Practitioners, is handling all the three cases.
The lawyers were waiting for the outcome of the Nhuta case before attaching more property in execution of the other two judgments.
They indicated that they were now proceeding to instruct the Sheriff to attach more property.
The four managers are Kingstone Mbape, Stancelous Banda, Charles Muchenje and Charles Mhonderwa.
Mbape and Banda should get $60 676,52 and $52 175,11 respectively.
Muchenje is entitled to $61 443,27 while Mhonderwa seeks to recover $66 623,75.
The four had served the airline for periods ranging from 39 to 41 years.
Air Zimbabwe had agreed to pay the workers, but for some unknown reasons, reneged on its obligation.
According to court papers, the four were voluntarily retrenched in 2010, but Air Zimbabwe did not pay them their retrenchment packages as agreed.
The four then took the matter for arbitration, where it was declared that Air Zimbabwe's action amounted to unfair labour practice.
Justice Happias Zhou then registered the award and the quartet now wants to attach property.
Last week Dr Nhuta attached 29 vehicles to recover his outstanding salaries, allowances and retrenchment package amounting to $140 000.
Four managers who were retrenched without benefits in 2010 recently obtained a writ of execution in a bid to recover their outstanding salaries and allowances to the tune of $240 018.
Some 409 workers who were illegally retrenched by the airline in 2012 got the green light to attach more property to realise $420 546 in outstanding salaries and allowances that accrued during their retrenchment.
Labour Court president Ms Lilian Hove in 2013 declared the retrenchment of the 409 workers illegal before ordering their reinstatement.
The 409 now want their outstanding payments while back at work.
A leading labour law firm in Harare, Matskikidze and Mucheche Legal Practitioners, is handling all the three cases.
The lawyers were waiting for the outcome of the Nhuta case before attaching more property in execution of the other two judgments.
The four managers are Kingstone Mbape, Stancelous Banda, Charles Muchenje and Charles Mhonderwa.
Mbape and Banda should get $60 676,52 and $52 175,11 respectively.
Muchenje is entitled to $61 443,27 while Mhonderwa seeks to recover $66 623,75.
The four had served the airline for periods ranging from 39 to 41 years.
Air Zimbabwe had agreed to pay the workers, but for some unknown reasons, reneged on its obligation.
According to court papers, the four were voluntarily retrenched in 2010, but Air Zimbabwe did not pay them their retrenchment packages as agreed.
The four then took the matter for arbitration, where it was declared that Air Zimbabwe's action amounted to unfair labour practice.
Justice Happias Zhou then registered the award and the quartet now wants to attach property.
Source - The Herald
