A group of former employees of the Eagle Tech Gymnasium School, located in the lower Piedra Pintada sector in Ibagué, has filed a public complaint against the rector Carolina Castillo Lozano and her family, owners and legal representatives of the institution. The complainants, who prefer to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, seek to warn other professionals and students of early childhood education about the working conditions at said school.
The school that has operated in Piedra Pintada since 2018 has been accused of various irregularities in the hiring and payment of social insurance (ARL and EPS) to its workers, including support staff and assistants. According to the complainants, Principal Castillo Lozano delays the signing of contracts for months and, in many cases, does not formalize the contract. “In the event of accidents or medical emergencies, they allege problems on the payroll and choose to cover the costs individually,” said one of the complainants.
The former workers describe exhausting work days, from 7 am to 6 pm, without leave due to family calamity, and denounce the use of surveillance cameras to control staff, the confiscation of cell phones and non-payment of salaries. Although salaries must be paid biweekly, many workers have accumulated up to three fortnights without receiving payment, under the excuse of late payment on the part of the parents. However, the complainants claim that many parents pay for the entire year and accuse the principal of wasting the funds on personal expenses.
Currently, more than ten former workers have not received severance pay, maternity leave or payment for days and weeks worked. This situation has led to the school being left without teaching staff, since coordinators, psychologists, teachers and general services staff have resigned due to the rector’s lack of honesty.
The former workers request justice and priority in their complaints from the Labor Office. In addition, they call on the Ministry of Education to investigate the legality of the school. Despite the complaints filed with this entity, Rector Castillo Lozano has managed to convince the authorities that everything is in order.
Since 2021, several workers have been waiting for settlement and payment of back salaries. Those who have received some payment have achieved it only after denouncing or rejecting agreements proposed by the rector. Recent cases include an assistant who suffered a fall without being able to activate her ARL and workers who have not been able to access medical services due to lack of payment to the EPS.
