News / National
Air Zimbabwe workers can't pay for transport to work
13 Oct 2011 at 04:37hrs | Views
AIR Zimbabwe workers have asked management to grant them permission not to report for duty because they do not have transport money since they have not been paid since July.
The workers met the national airline's acting chief executive officer Mr Innocent Mavhunga yesterday and told him that if they are not paid today, they would not report for work tomorrow.
Mr Mavhunga confirmed the development but said management was working flat out to pay the workers.
"All they simply said is that it's now three months since they were last paid and that they don't have money for transport, food and rentals which is a reality.
"They said they won't be able to come to work because they don't have the money," he said.
Airzim board chairman Mr Jonathan Kadzura last night said the board and management were running around looking for money.
"We want to make sure that the national airline remains afloat and I am hopeful that we will get the money needed to pay them," Mr Kadzura said.
Some of the workers said they found it difficult to continue reporting for work when they have not been paid for a long time.
"We told him (Mr Mavhunga) that we can't continue coming to work because we don't have transport money, but he told us that he didn't have the powers to authorise that.
"We are having problems where we stay because we have not paid rentals for almost four months now and some of us are being evicted while our children are being sent away from school," he said.
Another worker said: "We have had so many promises but they are yet to materialise. All we are asking for is that management and Government be considerate and do something for us."
The national airline is currently making losses with revenue inflows said to be around US$3,5 million while outflows were above US$5 million per month.
Airzim management says for the national airline to make a profit, there was need for it to retrench about 400 employees from a staff complement of more than 1 200.
The workers met the national airline's acting chief executive officer Mr Innocent Mavhunga yesterday and told him that if they are not paid today, they would not report for work tomorrow.
Mr Mavhunga confirmed the development but said management was working flat out to pay the workers.
"All they simply said is that it's now three months since they were last paid and that they don't have money for transport, food and rentals which is a reality.
"They said they won't be able to come to work because they don't have the money," he said.
Airzim board chairman Mr Jonathan Kadzura last night said the board and management were running around looking for money.
"We want to make sure that the national airline remains afloat and I am hopeful that we will get the money needed to pay them," Mr Kadzura said.
Some of the workers said they found it difficult to continue reporting for work when they have not been paid for a long time.
"We told him (Mr Mavhunga) that we can't continue coming to work because we don't have transport money, but he told us that he didn't have the powers to authorise that.
"We are having problems where we stay because we have not paid rentals for almost four months now and some of us are being evicted while our children are being sent away from school," he said.
Another worker said: "We have had so many promises but they are yet to materialise. All we are asking for is that management and Government be considerate and do something for us."
The national airline is currently making losses with revenue inflows said to be around US$3,5 million while outflows were above US$5 million per month.
Airzim management says for the national airline to make a profit, there was need for it to retrench about 400 employees from a staff complement of more than 1 200.
Source - zimpapers
