FORMER employees of St John’s University of Tanzania have filed a matter at the Commission for Mediation and Arbitration (CMA) challenging termination of their employments.
A total of 21 former employees include bishops, priests, and doctors.
They are Amina Sangali, Bishop Emmaus Mwamakula, Assistant Bishop of East and Coast (Anglican), Richard Kamenya, Head of the St. Mark’s Community Church (SMC), Fr. Lukas Saidi, Head of the Anglican Church at Mbweni, Emmanuel Saninga, Yohana Mtokambali, and Samwel Lipembe.
Others are doctors Anna Ndebukwa, Beatrice Halii, Noela Kawia, Michael John, Sophia Msangi, Chard Daniel, and eight others.
The plaintiffs reached the decision after the college closed its branch located at Buguruni Malapa in Dar es Salaam that was the training and formation centre for priests (St Mark’s Theological College)), without the respondent following proper termination procedure.
In their documents submitted to the commission by Advocate Sylivatus Mayenga, the claimants asked the Commission to find out that the dismissal procedure was unfair because the college was closed and they had never been issued with a notice of employment termination.
Besides, the claimants asked the commission to understand that they have been pushed into a difficult environment by not being paid their salaries, benefits, and entitlements.
On November 5, 2019, after the college was closed, 21 employees of the branch submitted their complaint to the Labuor Officer in Dar es Salaam of not being paid their salaries, where the official decision was that the employer (St. John’s) should pay the claimants.
However, the college did not agree with the decision given on May 27, 2020, by Yusuph Nzugile and appealed to the Labor Commissioner, Ristone Malingumu, but the commissioner continued to stand by the Labor Officer’s decision that the claimants should be paid their benefits.
After the decision, Maliamungu issued on July 24, 2020, the Commissioner sent a letter to empower the judgment before the Registrar of the High Court, Labor Division, Sundi Fimbo, against St John’s on September 6, 2022.
While the process continues, St John’s filed an application in court before Judge Salma Maghimbi against St Mark’s and the employees, protesting that they are not their employees and that the issue before the registrar should be stopped until the case is heard and a decision is made.
In her decision, Judge Maghimbi dismissed the application, and the action to enforce the sentence as St. John’s agreed with the workers to pay their salaries in three installments.