Zupco workers sent on forced unpaid leave

State-owned bus company Zupco has sent workers on forced leave.

The parastatal says the move is due to a slow down in business.

About 100 Zupco employees have been sent on six months unpaid leave from last Friday until the 5th of July.

Despite workers contesting the move, at a national works council meeting last Thursday, the company deems it as a special measure to avoid retrenchments.

A letter addressed to workers by Zupco's Acting Chief Executive Officer Tendai Masaire explains the unpaid leave has been necessitated by low business volumes.

The company says it will reconsider recalling the workers if business volumes improve.

Some of the affected employees said they last received salaries in November 2014.

Efforts to get a comment from Zupco were fruitless by close of business on Tuesday.

Last year, members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government blamed mal-administration for Zupco's failure to stay afloat at a time other players in the transport sector are making profits.