Center for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has requested the Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) to sort out some serious leadership and transparency issues at the Union.

CDEDI’s Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said his organization has received overwhelming complaints of various misconducts that have been happening within TUM concerning some of its members.

According to Namiwa some teachers are complaining that they have automatically become members of the Union without formally applying to be members and most teachers have had their membership fees deducted without their consent from their accounts.

“Most of the teachers have been made Teachers Union of Malawi members by virtue of being employed as a teacher without necessarily being given an opportunity to whether to belong to TUM or not then the second thing they notice is that their salary is being deducted.”

Namiwa said that this is against the law and the constitution of the TUM.

In light of the situation, CDEDI, has given TUM a seven-day ultimatum to address the complaints saying should TUM fail, CDEDI will to take further action.

Namiwa said “We have given them seven days to respond to the letter in response that letter we will see how next to act.”

Namiwa has said that TUM has already started cooperating he is optimistic that union will do the needful.