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Abigail Mawonde Harare Bureau
TelOne employees are up in arms with management over non-payment of bonuses. A circular by TelOne managing director Chipo Mtasa announced the parastatal was not in a position to pay bonuses.

“As you are aware, TelOne staff costs income to ratio stands at 34 percent against a shareholder requirement of 30 percent.

“Furthermore, TelOne is lagging behind in payments of medical aid and pension fund contributions with PSMAS and CAIPF respectively, among other obligations,” read the circular.

“There is an immediate and urgent need to arrest this situation. It is from this background that management will not be paying bonus to staff in 2014.”

Mtasa said management proposed the exchange of leave days for cash.

“Taking into cognisance the fact that staff had been looking forward to bonus payment, management has thus proposed that staff be allowed to commute 30 vacation leave days equivalent to a month’s basic salary. TelOne leave liability stands at $4.2 million as of October 31, 2014.”

She said encashment of leave days was going to be staggered between November and December.

Communication and Allied Services Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe has threatened legal action.

“We’re protesting against this attitude and inhuman treatment of TelOne workers. Unless you reverse your decision CASWUZ will instruct its lawyers to deal with this case,” said CASWUZ president Lovemore Matombo.

“Surely you knew without doubt that workers had genuine expectations of receiving, as they normally do, the 13th cheque at the end of November every year.

“Be advised that TelOne has always received the 13th cheque for many decades until you assumed office last year,” reads Matombo’s letter to Mtasa.