via 3 000 council workers face axe – NewsDay Zimbabwe August 19, 2015
HARARE City Council is reportedly targeting to lay off more than 3 000 workers and give them terminal benefits equivalent to three’ months salary in line with the recent Supreme Court ruling.
BY MOSES MATENGA
A tense atmosphere pervaded Town House yesterday as reports of the impending job cuts spread following a meeting by the council’s human resources committee.
Although committee chairperson councillor Wellington Chikombo and mayor Bernard Manyenyeni were unreachable for comment, councillors and senior officials who declined to be named confirmed the looming retrenchments.
“We hear close to 3 000 people are being targeted and it is not clear whether this will affect (suspended town clerk) Tendai Mahachi as his case is being negotiated somewhere,” said a council official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Impeccable sources said the axe was targeting workers who went absent without official leave (AWOL) at the height of the economic crisis, workers’ union leaders and employees facing disciplinary hearings.
“Council has a problem of paying workers and that has seen us borrowing a lot including from financial institutions and giving out our properties like parkades as collateral. The decision is good for council,” the source said.
COMMENTS