AIR ZIMBABWE has told its striking pilots to consider themselves sacked after they ignored a 24-hour deadline to return to work.

The airline’s chairman, Jonathan Kadzura, insisted the company was not going to entertain the pilots’ demands adding the board of directors would meet on Tuesday to discuss the way forward.

Air Zimbabwe pilots and cabin crew walked out on Wednesday over US$ 3million in unpaid allowances and were subsequently ordered to return to work by Friday.

Chief Executive Peter Chigumba told the pilots they had made their point and pleaded with them to return to work.

However his plea was ignored in a job action that is proving costly for the cash-strapped carrier and inconveniencing hundreds of passengers.

Meanwhile Kadzura said the job action was unprocedural and accused the pilots of greed.

“They were striking because they want their salaries paid up, but sadly what we do not seem to appreciate is that in our country at the moment, the average salary is around US$260 and US$300.

“Our pilots are earning between US$1 300 and US$1 500 at the end of every month and they accrue the rest as a debt that we promised to pay and has since accumulated to US$3 million,” he said.

He insisted that by refusing to return to work the pilots had in fact “fired themselves”.

With talks between the workers and management failing to breach their differences the labour dispute is now expected to land in the courts.

Air Zimbabwe has been forced to cancel several flights leaving up to 1000 passengers stranded.

The airline is said to have hired planes from South Africa to ply some of its regional and domestic routes.