Press Release IG Metall: Every workplace must become accessible

Frankfurt am Main – In light of the transformation taking place in workplaces, IG Metall is calling for better prospects for people with severe disabilities. On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, the union criticizes the low priority given to these employees by companies and lawmakers. Hans-Jürgen Urban, Executive Board Member: “Participation is a human right. And the country cannot afford to treat people with disabilities as an afterthought. The labor market urgently needs workers. And employees with disabilities need real opportunities for participation instead of pity.”

Specifically, the union is calling for every workplace to be accessible and thus ready to accommodate people with disabilities. Currently, companies can pay a compensation levy to avoid hiring people with severe disabilities and are only required to make accessibility modifications if they do employ such individuals. This poses a major obstacle, not least when it comes to hiring.  According to the Federal Employment Agency, the proportion of people with severe disabilities in the workforce is only 4.5 percent. In the general population, however, that proportion is just under 10 percent.
 

Companies Exclude, Legislators Overlook

Urban: “People with severe disabilities are not a cost factor, but an opportunity. Without employees with disabilities, companies are foregoing well-qualified personnel.” Studies show that unemployed people with disabilities remain unemployed for significantly longer periods or take jobs for which they are overqualified. “The socio-ecological transition can be an opportunity for companies. But this also means finally giving people with disabilities better and guaranteed opportunities,” says IG Metall Executive Board member Urban.

With regard to the Disability Equality Act announced by the “traffic light” coalition government and the “Federal Accessibility Initiative,” IG Metall criticizes the fact that the world of work is largely excluded from both. Urban: “The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities obligates Germany to promote the rights of people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against them. Only inclusion in the labor market shows how far we’ve truly come as a society.”