News / National
Air Zimbabwe pilots strike illigal: Labour court
07 Apr 2011 at 07:43hrs | Views
The Labour Court yesterday declared the strike by Air Zimbabwe pilots and flight attendants illegal.
The flight crews downed tools on March 22, grounding planes and throwing the financially troubled national airline into turmoil as workers demanded payment of outstanding salaries.
The airline has for the past two weeks been transferring passengers to other carriers.
The national airline is incurring a monthly loss of US$3,5 and all its crafts on all routes, when operating, are loss-making. In a disposal order issued yesterday, Labour Court president Ms Loice Matanda-Moyo declared the collective job action illegal.
She said it did not comply with Section 104 of the Labour Act (Chapter 28:01).
Ms Matanda-Moyo ruled: "Respondent's (Zimbabwe Flight Crew Association) members cease forthwith such unlawful job action and go back to work immediately and in any event within 48 hours of receipt of this order by the respondent.
"The applicant (Air Zimbabwe Holdings) is barred from preferring any misconduct charges on respondent's members arising out of the unlawful job action."
Air Zimbabwe had approached the Labour Court saying the industrial action was illegal.
Board chairman Mr Jonathan Kadzura had described the strike as "unfortunate".
The company's woes were compounded on Monday when workers - who are owed nearly US$400 000 in unpaid salaries and allowances - attached property that included managers' vehicles and computers.
Efforts to stop the attachment and subsequent auctioning of the assets failed at the High Court on Monday. High Court judge Andrew Mutema dismissed with costs an urgent chamber application for stay of execution by Air Zimbabwe's lawyer, Mr Selby Hwacha.
This means that the properties attached last Friday can now be auctioned anytime despite protests by management that this will paralyse already stymied operations.
The flight crews downed tools on March 22, grounding planes and throwing the financially troubled national airline into turmoil as workers demanded payment of outstanding salaries.
The airline has for the past two weeks been transferring passengers to other carriers.
The national airline is incurring a monthly loss of US$3,5 and all its crafts on all routes, when operating, are loss-making. In a disposal order issued yesterday, Labour Court president Ms Loice Matanda-Moyo declared the collective job action illegal.
She said it did not comply with Section 104 of the Labour Act (Chapter 28:01).
Ms Matanda-Moyo ruled: "Respondent's (Zimbabwe Flight Crew Association) members cease forthwith such unlawful job action and go back to work immediately and in any event within 48 hours of receipt of this order by the respondent.
"The applicant (Air Zimbabwe Holdings) is barred from preferring any misconduct charges on respondent's members arising out of the unlawful job action."
Air Zimbabwe had approached the Labour Court saying the industrial action was illegal.
Board chairman Mr Jonathan Kadzura had described the strike as "unfortunate".
The company's woes were compounded on Monday when workers - who are owed nearly US$400 000 in unpaid salaries and allowances - attached property that included managers' vehicles and computers.
Efforts to stop the attachment and subsequent auctioning of the assets failed at the High Court on Monday. High Court judge Andrew Mutema dismissed with costs an urgent chamber application for stay of execution by Air Zimbabwe's lawyer, Mr Selby Hwacha.
This means that the properties attached last Friday can now be auctioned anytime despite protests by management that this will paralyse already stymied operations.
Source - Byo24News
