Chennai: A senior photojournalist committed suicide in the newsroom on Sunday evening amid allegations of non-payment of salary for a prolonged period.
T Kumar, the 56-year-old bureau head of news agency UNI, was found dead in the office by a colleague, India Today reported.
Senior journalist Vishwaa Viswanaath posted on social media that UNI had not paid Kumar fully for 60 months.
In a series of tweets, Viswanaath also alleged that several UNI employees have been getting only part of their monthly salary and that, too, in instalments.
“Many of the permanent staff were paid every alternate month, or they would get salary seven times every year. Arrears up to 42 to 44 months had amassed when I was working there,” an ex-employee of UNI told The News Minute on condition of anonymity.
A number of permanent employees were laid off without being paid pending salaries, while there are outstanding provident funds also, forcing many to approach labour courts, the source added.
In a statement on the death of Kumar, UNI All-India Employees Front said on Monday: “We have learnt that Mr Kumar’s wife had met with an accident a few months ago and he had applied for an amount of at least Rs 1 lakh against his pending dues for her treatment. However, he was sent a paltry sum of Rs 25,000 only. Also, Mr Kumar’s daughter’s engagement was scheduled to be solemnised next week and it is learnt that he had applied for Rs 5 lakh for the same, but the management was yet to respond.”
The statement added: “There is a backlog of 60 months of salaries, yet the management’s callous attitude toward the dire crisis of the employees is unchanged. This month itself, a decision has been taken to stop payment of Rs 10,000 against the pending statutory gratuity, pending salaries and other legal dues payable to former employees.”
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin expressed his condolence.
“I am deeply saddened to hear that senior photojournalist and Chennai Bureau chief of UNI has taken his own life. I extend my condolences to his family and the journalist community,” Stalin said in a Twitter statement.
