AMMA convenes emergency meeting following workplace harassment complaints

Kochi: Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) was plunged into a fresh crisis as another former employee raised workplace harassment allegations, forcing the organisation to convene an emergency executive meeting in Kochi on Tuesday.Former front office staff, identified as Appu, lodged a complaint with Ernakulam North police, a day after Athulya, a former staff member, raised workplace harassment charges. Appu, who preceded Athulya in the front office, claimed he was dismissed without any explanation and was yet to receive his salary. He alleged that he was forced to perform duties outside his job description, including cleaning tasks. Both the complainants raised charges against AMMA treasurer Unni Shivapal and general secretary Cuckoo Parameswaran. Appu alleged that when he took up the harassment complaint to the general secretary, Parameswaran told him that his survival in the office depended entirely on ‘gaining the confidence' of Shivapal. The executive session lasted several hours, and the meeting reportedly addressed not only the office staff grievances but also a fresh complaint from a security staff member alleging similar workplace mistreatment. Meanwhile, Parameswaran dismissed the allegations as ‘false and motivated,' stating that the complainants were simply disgruntled employees who failed their probation periods. While police are yet to file a formal FIR, they are currently recording detailed statements to verify the evidence. Earlier Athulya alleged that she faced severe mental harassment and was ousted after reporting internal grievances to president Shwetha Menon. She described a grim environment where she was forced to work on holidays and subjected to ‘character assassination' through baseless accusations of financial misappropriation.