A group of 38 schoolteachers in Upper Nile State’s Melut County has filed a lawsuit at a Juba High Court over nonpayment of alleged US$200,000 salaries and benefits.
In June, several teachers took to the street in Melut to seek better remuneration, after having worked without payment or renewal of their contracts since February. Some were dismissed while their colleagues were threatened with punitive action against any dissent.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, the teachers’ lawyer, Dau Akoi Thon, said his clients sought legal redress following the Melut Community Development Committee’s (CDC) reluctance to intervene.
He stated that the lawsuit was the only option after the teachers unsuccessfully engaged the county education department, the CDC, and other government institutions.
“These 38 teachers were recruited by Melut authorities on a contract for which they were supposed to be paid, only to be dismissed illegally later. They have been trying several means through the Labor and Education ministries to seek redress but all in vain. So, the issue is finally brought to the court and yesterday we filed a case against Melut CDC at the High Court in Juba,” Thon said.
“We want the court to compel these people to pay these illegally dismissed teachers over US$200, 000 in salary arrears and social insurance benefits. My clients signed a contract, but the other party did not give them their copies. According to the Labor Act, these teachers should be pad and not unfairly dismissed,” he added.
One of the complainants, Daniel Juma Rehan, sad they would remain adamant until their grievances are addressed.
“We signed contracts but our copies were not referred back to us. Despite this, we were being paid until February when the contract expired. From February, we are asked to work and that we would get contracts and be paid, only to be dismissed when we protested in June. We are demanding our right through court,” he said.
The Melut County CDC Chairperson, Samuel Ayuel, said they were aware of the lawsuit and were seeking to dialogue with the disgruntled individuals.
“We have been talking to them. What they need from us is the money for February and incentives of October 2022 for some. Some were dismissed for misbehavior, but we are willing to dialogue because they served our community, and we are not supposed to have conflict with them. However, they are refusing to dialogue and declined the February pay, and preferred going to court,” he said.