A Brisbane man who was sacked from his job at a Golden Circle factory claims he was fired for being morbidly obese.
Lance Pedersen, 57, says he was dismissed from his position at the processing plant in Northgate after he was declared unfit to perform duties that were not initially part of his job description, the Courier Mail reports.
Mr Pedersen, who had worked for Golden Circle for 14 years, said he was devastated by the decision.
"It pretty well shattered me; it's turned my life upside down. (My partner and I) have got a mortgage . . . it's hard to survive on just one wage," the Courier Mail reports.
After working as a fork lift driver, Mr Pederson said he was told by Golden Circle he was being moved to the beverage line, where he would be required to stand and pack drinks.
But, after undergoing a medical test, Mr Pederson was deemed unfit to work on the beverage line due to his morbid obesity and severe osteoarthritis of the knees.
Mr Pederson, who says he has since lost 8kg, has lodged an unfair dismissal complaint with Fair Work Australia, claiming he was not given any prior warning that his health posed a problem.
A spokesman for Heinz Australia, which owns Golden Circle, said the company had met with Mr Pederson and his union representatives to explore other possible duties but there was nothing available.
"Golden Circle has an obligation to ensure the health and safety of all our employees," the spokesman told the Courier Mail.
"We are therefore unable to continue to employ Mr Pedersen."
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