Man goes on hunger strike after company fires him while battling Cancer
Pune: A multinational company in Yerawada is facing strong criticism after dismissing an employee who was undergoing cancer treatment. The employee, Santosh Patole, worked as a Facility Manager for eight years and has more than two decades of professional experience.
Patole said he was removed from service while he was still in treatment. He was diagnosed with thyroid nodule isthmus cancer in April during the firm’s annual health check-up. After receiving the diagnosis, he took medical leave in May and June for surgery and further treatment. During this period, the company paid for his medical expenses.
Doctors cleared him to resume work on July 1. However, before he could return, he received a termination letter on July 23. Along with the loss of his job, he also lost the medical support that had been funding his cancer care. Patole claimed the company accused him of making a decision that could have caused a loss of ₹2.5 to ₹3 crore, though he said the project mentioned was never even implemented. He alleged that the company refused to hear his explanation and dismissed him without considering his medical condition.
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Following the termination, Patole began a hunger strike outside the company’s Pune office. A widely shared photograph shows him sitting inside a small tent with protest banners, including one reading: “#WhySLBWhy? Cancer Patient Fired By US MNC Begins Hunger Strike. Employees Are Humans, Not Numbers.”
The incident has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with several users criticising the company’s handling of the situation and raising concerns about job security for employees dealing with serious health issues. One user wrote, “Everyone is just a number in someone else’s company,” while another suggested Patole approach the IT labour cell in Pune for support. Others shared similar experiences, pointing to broader concerns regarding corporate responsibility and support for employees facing life-threatening illnesses.
The protest and online backlash have brought renewed attention to the treatment of workers undergoing major medical crises and the policies companies follow in such situations.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
