Ex-High Commissioner Navdeep Suri Fined $100,000 for Underpaying Domestic Help
According to sources from our news team, Navdeep Suri, the former Indian High Commissioner to Australia, has been ordered by Australia’s federal court to pay a punishment amounting to roughly $100,000. This penalty is assigned to Suri as he underpaid his last domestic helper, Seema Shergill, for a duration exceeding one year.
Secondary Penalties and Repayments
This punitive measure is in addition to an earlier enforcement, which commanded Suri to refund $136,000 plus interest. This amount was in respect to the work carried out by Shergill within his Canberra residence. The accumulated amount emerges from a sequence of court findings that held Suri culpable of nine violations of the Fair Work Act.
Slave-Like Conditions for the Helper
Sources reveal further details about the case, depicting a narrative of squalid work conditions endured by Shergill. The court records describe the environment as reminiscent of ‘slave-like’ conditions. Working seven days each week, clocking in at 17.5 hours per day, her salary per month fell shockingly short. She received a paltry sum of approximately $3,400, which was credited to an Indian bank account. This account was unaccessible for Shergill while she was stationed in Australia.
Calls for Legislative Revisions to Secure Domestic Help
The wake of this unique case has prompted vigorous discussions and appeals for modifications in the law. The purpose of these proposed legislative changes is to ensure that domestic helpers employed at diplomatic residences get the necessary visibility and protection to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
India Rejects Court Ruling
In the aftermath of the court’s decision, India has dismissed the ruling. The country voiced that Australia had overstepped its jurisdiction in passing judgments on matters that concern India-based staff of its high commission. Additionally, India accused Seema Shergill of abandoning her duties to extend her stay in Australia.
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