Major disability employment provider Maxima informs staff of federal funding cut

ABC NEWS (Australia)

ABC News can reveal Adelaide-based organisation Maxima has lost a federal government contract to deliver disability employment services across most of the country. Maxima has told its staff that jobs are on the line in a move that could impact thousands of Australians with disability.

Transcript

00:00ABC News has seen a document sent to Maxima staff on Thursday revealing the organisation

00:08will stop delivering services through the federal government's Inclusive Employment

00:12Australia program. Management has told staff that most disability employment services roles

00:18within the organisation will be impacted, except those in Western Australia. The provider

00:24employs about 400 workers and supports more than 6,000 people with disability across the country.

00:31In the document sent to staff, Maxima says it's new information and had not anticipated the outcome

00:37of losing the government contract. It also asked staff to not discuss details with people outside

00:43Maxima, including customers and employers, saying the federal government had set an embargo on the

00:49release of information. When asked about the contract, Maxima told ABC News it couldn't comment

00:55due to the embargo. In a statement, the Department of Social Services says the government is reforming

01:01disability employment services following extensive consultation with the disability community,

01:07including peak organisations, service providers and employers. It says the changes will help an

01:13extra 15,000 people with disability find a job, and those supported by Maxima will be able to choose

01:20a new provider that best suits their needs. Despite losing the contract, management has told staff

01:26it isn't closing, and has told the ABC Maxima will continue to support its employees and customers

01:32ahead of the government reform taking effect.

Category

Transcript

Recommended