Madonna 'Failed to Pay Damages to Charity Workers'

Singer Madonna has failed to pay about £100,000 to eight charity workers from Malawi who had sued her for unfair dismissal and unpaid wages, it has been reported.

The workers were dismissed when Madonna's idea of a school in Malawi was abandoned in March 2011.

The singer was planning to build an all-girls' school - Raising Malawi Academy.

The charity volunteers working for Madonna on the project had appealed to a court against the singer.

According to the Daily Mail, Madonna reached an out-of-court settlement with the workers in December 2011, agreeing to pay £96,000.

A lawyer for the sacked workers says that the 53-year-old singer has not paid the amount yet.

"The money was supposed to be paid there and then but it is over four weeks later and no money has been paid," the Daily Mail quotes lawyer Wapona Kita as saying.

"I have tried to contact Madonna's lawyers in Malawi but their response is they are having extreme difficulty transferring the money from the US.

"I cannot communicate with Madonna. I can only communicate with her lawyers in Malawi. But people here feel they are being played."

Madonna has not commented about the issue.