Disability around the World: Senate decision may have jeopardised pay case for workers with a disability

June 16, 2015

Recent news has surfaced around working individuals with disabilities in Australia. In The Guardian, Bridie Jabour presents the current case of these individuals being underpaid.  The text includes:

Lawyer representing people who were paid as little as $1 an hour says a scare campaign is being run to try to get them to settle claims for half of what they are owed – but only if they drop their right to sue

A class action on behalf of workers with disabilities who were paid as little as $1 an hour could be jeopardised by the Senate’s decision to offer them half of what they are owed if they waive their right to sue.

Up to 10,000 people with intellectual disabilities who were employed by Australian Disability Enterprises were paid as little as $1 an hour after their wages were determined by a tool the federal court has found breached the Disability Discrimination Act.

The workers are in the process of undertaking a class action with the law firm Maurice Blackburn but on Monday the Senate passed legislation allowing the government to offer the workers up to half of what they are owed. The condition is that they drop any claims to sue.

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