Categories: News

ZESA too broke to meet workers’ salary demands

Zimbabwe’s power utility ZESA Holdings says it is technically insolvent and does not have the financial capacity to effect a 50 percent salary increment or pay over $100 million in arrears which is being demanded by its workers.

The National Energy Workers Union of Zimbabwe (NEWUZ) has been threatening to go on strike if the parastatal does not meet their demand, and also the payment of $100 million in outstanding salaries.

“The dispute arose from a Collective Bargaining Agreement that was reached in 2012 which the Utility was unable to effect as a result of financial incapacity,” ZESA said in a statement yesterday.

“The utility posted a significant loss of $132.2 million for the year 2012. It was and remains technically insolvent as evidenced by a net liability position of $479 million as at December 2012.”

ZESA said this position on financial performance has been communicated to employees.

In 2016 it reported a loss of $217 million and projected the deficit for last year at $393 million last year.

In 2016, its transmission subsidiary, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) was owed over $1 billion by both commercial and domestic users.

Also, ZESA owes its local and international suppliers close to $1 billion. –The Source

(85 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 8:51 am

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Zimbabwe among the top countries with the widest gap between the rich and poor

Zimbabwe is among the top 30 countries in the world with the widest gap between…

November 14, 2024

Can the ZiG sustain its rally against the US dollar?

Zimbabwe’s battered currency, the Zimbabwe Gold, which was under attack until the central bank devalued…

November 10, 2024

Will Mnangagwa go against the trend in the region?

Plans by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to push President Emmerson Mnangagwa to…

October 22, 2024

The Zimbabwe government and not saboteurs sabotaging ZiG

The Zimbabwe government’s insatiable demand for money to satisfy its own needs, which has exceeded…

October 20, 2024

The Zimbabwe Gold will regain its value if the government does this…

Economist Eddie Cross says the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) will regain its value if the government…

October 16, 2024

Is Harare the least democratic province in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, which is a metropolitan province, is the least democratic province in the…

October 11, 2024