A disabled woman is being paid just $2 an hour to pack jam jars after having her wages slashed by her Victorian employer.
Karen Smith, 41, had been paid an hourly rate of $6 during more than a decade’s service for Geelong-based not-for-profit organisation Karingal, the Geelong Advertiser reported.
But when Karingal requested a federal government review of its supported employment program, evaluators recommended Ms Smith’s wage be lowered to just $1.20 an hour.
She is now receiving $2 because that is the minimum rate allowed under Karingal policy.
Ms Smith has been left heartbroken, according to her carer Jimmy Lasker, who believes the system has failed her on a "moral" level.
"To drop almost 70 percent of her wages overnight — just show me how this can be justified?" he told the newspaper.
"When I explained it to her fully ... she immediately said, 'This is stupid, this is no good'."
Karingal, which employs 125 disabled workers, rejected suggestions it was exploiting Ms Smith.
The company claims it runs the supported employment program at a loss, while its employees enjoy being associated with the scheme.
Front page
RSS Feed