The family of an Indian hospitality worker who died of cancer last week has arrived in Australia and is appealing for help with his last rites.
40-year-old Sanjeev Kumar died last week, two months after he was diagnosed with cancer. But the dreaded illness isn’t the only thing he was battling.
Mr Kumar was also fighting his employer for allegedly unpaid wages as a restaurant manager – a job the 457 visa holder had been working in since October 2015.
His bank statements show a flat payment of $888.65 per week paid intermittently, receiving wages for 110 weeks since he commenced employment.
He said his employer owed him wages for over 70 weeks in addition to overtime and penalties, a claim firmly denied by the employer. The owner of the restaurant where Mr Kumar worked claimed he had not been underpaid even though the paperwork might not reflect that.
The Indian national remained in hospital since April and had undergone two surgeries to remove the tumour. He complained of underpayment after being hospitalised and informed the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Department of Home Affairs.
While the Australian Border Force did say whether or not an investigation is underway, SBS Punjabi understands officers are looking into the case.
Mr Kumar died on Thursday at Tamworth Hospital where he had been in palliative care after his condition did not improve despite two surgeries. He was first hospitalised in March with fever. After he was discharged, Mr Kumar decided to go to visit his family for two weeks and got scans done there which showed tumor in his brain.
His sister Poonam appealed to the community for help.
“We are trying to raise money for his funeral. His wife and son have also arrived here, who have been left with nothing after his death. We’d like to do something for them as well,” she told SBS Punjabi.
An online fundraiser started on Sunday has so far raised over $3,500.
Mr Kumar’s funeral will take place on Tuesday in Tamworth.
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