Australian Disability Enterprises can pay workers a fraction of the minimum wage. What place do they have in today's society?

ABC News
Sun 29 Sep


Greg Tucker was paid $2.50 an hour for two years and says it's "not right" to pay ADE employees so little.   :(

In short
The disability royal commission handed down its final report one year ago today, making 222 recommendations for sweeping change across society.

One of those recommendations was to transform Australian Disability Enterprises and phase out segregated employment by 2034, which the government is yet to commit to.

What's next?
The government says it is "developing an approach for further consultation" on the recommendations and is committed to improving employment outcomes for people with disability overall.


If you were offered a job packing and labelling products for a major company, how much would you expect to be paid?

For two years, Greg Tucker did just that and was paid $2.50 an hour.

It was completely legal.

The reason why? Mr Tucker lives with intellectual disability.

"Along the way I thought, 'this really can't be right'," he said.

"We're all doing hard work and we're still earning single digits."

Mr Tucker was hired by an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) — a segregated workplace for people with disability who need significant support to work.

How the system works
People working at ADEs, the vast majority of whom live with intellectual disability, are contracted under the Supported Employment Services Award 2020.
This Award is calculated using wage assessment tools, including a productivity test, to decide what proportion of wage the employee will be paid.
Under this system, ADE employees can be paid as little as $6.03 per hour.
The Fair Work Commission is responsible for making, reviewing, and varying modern awards, including setting wage rates.
"Supported employees" working at ADEs are legally able to be paid less than the minimum wage if it is decided their disability reduces their output.

At the end of some weeks, the only items Mr Tucker could afford with his pay cheque were snacks and trips on public transport.

"It wasn't even enough to pay one bill," he said.

Mr Tucker has now progressed to a cleaning job at the same ADE, which has earned him two pay rises.

But at about $11 an hour, it's still well below the minimum wage of $24.10 per hour.

He's picked up a second job in open employment as a housing advocate for a disability organisation, where he earns $33.41 an hour.


Greg Tucker now also works at a disability advocacy organisation, where he's paid at a much higher rate.

Mr Tucker said it was "definitely not right" to pay ADE employees such low wages. 

"They are humans too and just want to work and earn money for their families," he said.

'An affront to dignity'
Originally known as "sheltered workshops", ADEs were started in the 1950s by parents wanting to provide their children with some form of employment.

Today, approximately 20,000 people with disability work in about 600 ADEs across the country.

The enterprises came under the microscope at the disability royal commission, where Mr Tucker shared his story in 2022.




Greg Tucker told the disability royal commission he has been paid $2.50ph for two years.   :(

The inquiry's final report was handed down one year ago today.

Four of six royal commissioners recommended that ADEs be transformed and sub-minimum wages for people with disability eliminated by 2034.

One of those commissioners, Alistair McEwin, said evidence presented at the inquiry painted a "shameful picture" of ADEs.

"What we saw and heard … was a very clear case for change. ADEs need to close. ADEs need to stop paying sub-minimum wages," he said.

"[The conditions are] an affront to dignity and inconsistent with the basic principles of human rights."

The royal commission heard evidence that rates of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation were higher in all segregated settings, not just employment.

In its formal response to the inquiry in July, the federal government said the recommendation to phase out segregated employment required further consideration.

Mr McEwin urged the government to act on the commission's recommendations.

"Segregation is harmful. It's based on othering. It's based on dehumanisation. It's based on treating disabled people as second-class citizens," he said.

"Until we change our policy to address that, we won't be achieving equality for a long time."

A man with glasses and short hair and a blue suit sitting on a stage
Alistair McEwin firmly believes segregated employment needs to be phased out.

In a statement, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government was "committed to supporting the fullest participation of all people with disability in society".

She said the government had started various initiatives to improve the employment of people with disability, including those announced in May's federal budget, and was "developing an approach for further consultation" on the royal commission's recommendations.

Astounding.   And the employer likely got a subsidy for employing him. Modern day slavery in a Western democracy - part of the underlying True AGenda of reducing the populace under despotism and unto servitude by first attacking the weak and vulnerable - those without a Voice - and the government is "developing an approach for further consultation" .... amazing.... kick it to an overpaid fat cat committee until the next election cycle ...

Where did the money all go?

Footnote:-  Every 'worker' is indentured to dividie's (he likes to think he can claim it as his own when everyone knows about it - a bit like Lucifer wanting to take ownership of Heaven - most of us just can't be bothered arguing his endless round and round accompanied by ad homs - but his intentions are good) 'need' to be part of the economic structure in the eternal hope of somehow actually prospering out of it.  Starting off at fifteen or so, people become part of the indentureship process, and can only HOPE (no guarantee) to prosper by working fifty years...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hhyGVr0WHQ

he got his disabilty pension and he got to go and socialise at "work"  and thats not what this was .

obviously a sheltered workshop is a place for socialisation, not for earning cash

he was already getting this from the taxpater via his  centrelink pension amd probably his taxpayer funded NDIS package

what next?

people at "mens sheds' demanding they get paid?

rediculous

the age of entitlement needs to end