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Air Zim staff to lose jobs
11/04/2006 18:56 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe's national carrier announced plans on Tuesday to lay off 30% of its workforce - or some 360 workers - in a streamlining bid to reverse its flagging fortunes.
"The airline is embarking on a staff rationalisation exercise with immediate effect," Mike Bimha, group chairperson of Air Zimbabwe told reporters in Harare.
"This will result in a 30% reduction in staff," he added. Air Zimbabwe employs 1 200 workers.
Bimha said the restructuring would help the airline regain its status as one of the region's leading airlines.
"Staffing levels have generally remained the same over the years despite the drop in passenger uplifts as well as operating a smaller fleet of aircraft, and loss of market share over the years."
Tourists shunning the country
Dwindling tourism numbers have contributed significantly to Air Zimbabwe's route problems as visitors from the country's traditional tourist markets such as the United States and the European Union have shunned the southern African country.
Western tourism numbers have dropped significantly since the 2000 parliamentary polls, which foreign observers claim were rigged to give President Robert Mugabe's ruling party victory.
Last week, Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive officer Oscar Madombwe told a parliamentary committee that negative perceptions about the safety of travelling on the national carrier among other problems had seen the numbers of passengers using the airliner decreasing.
Madombwe told the committee that passenger numbers declined from one million a year in 1999 to 23 000 last year.
The tourism sector last year suffered a 49% drop in revenue compared with 2004, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority said.
Bimha said the organisation would embark on a turn-around plan to address erratic fuel supplies which grounded the entire fleet in November last year, declining passenger numbers, foreign currency shortages and declining customer confidence.
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