Telecel rarely makes the news cycle for positive reasons these days and today is no different. It’s being reported that some of Telecel’s workforce got their salaries cut to just ZW$800 (around US$16).
Staffers allegedly received an email informing them that the cuts were due to pressures exerted on the business by Covid-19;
This mail serves to inform you that due to the lockdown, our revenues have declined whilst our fixed and indirect costs continue to increase. This has put a strain on overall business performance.
A decision has been made to immediately pay a provisional salary through Telecash for the month of April whilst analysis of the financials is being done. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all employees for their contribution as they work from home and those who have been physically present
Telecel email to staff
Receving your salary via Telecash is already a crutch in itself since the mobile money platform isn’t integrated as widely as EcoCash or OneMoney, meaning once those staffers have gotten their salary they can’t really use it anywhere.
The other option which is cashing out the money is also next to impossible with mobile money agents not working because of the national lockdown.
Unless the workers who received the ZW$800 via Telecash also have a ZIPIT card it seems like a sum that will end up stuck in their account and further lose value whilst workers make a plan to redeem the funds.
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3 comments
Receiving this email on “Worker’s Day” must have been depressing
I think Telecel doesn’t actually have the money to pay workers, that’s why they opted to pay them in Telecash which they very well know the workers can’t access. So they can “print” digital money and pay workers with it, workers can’t get it out or few can get it out, buying time for them to plug the hole. What a disgrace.
I think they should just close or get bought by some other company that can run a business.