Former and current employees of Oasis Pvt Schools also known as Royal Secondary Pvt Schools in Mzuzu have complained over unpaid salary arrears, with the current employees saying they are threatened with dismissals when they ask for their salary arrears.
The teachers have ganged up to sue the school owner Joseph Patemba over what they are describing as work-abuse.
In a letter made available to this publication, the former and current employees of the institution allege that the school owner, Joseph Patemba, has not been paying them for months and that he is recruiting other employees even without offer letters.
The letter which has been signed by three former and current employees of Royal Secondary Pvt Schools, has also described Patemba as a dictator who doesn’t want his employees to express their concerns.
“The work oppression is based on poor conditions of work of service and among others can be described by the following: employees being recruited without offer letters and not receiving pay over a long period of time, selective payment which is purely discriminatory as sometimes some are paid and some are not, unexplained salary delay and unexplained salary cuts which create constructive dismissal, unusual intimidation when the employees attempts to request for accrued salaries,” reads part of the letter.
According to the group, it is consolidating all evidence towards bringing a legal action on this matter so that they can be compensated.
Meanwhile, students at the school have also written a letter to human rights groups in the country for help on the matter, claiming they have not been learning for days though they paid for everything.
The students say they feel like they have been robbed since money meant to pay the teachers and buy learning materials is not being used for its intended purpose hence the need for rights group to intervene.
As of now, the director of the school Joseph Patemba is yet to respond to our questionnaire.
