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PRESS RELEASE NO. 34/2019 IG Metall: People with severe disabilities need inclusion in the workplace

Reform plans threaten participation in the workforce and social security +++ Assistive devices must not be a factor in determining the degree of disability +++ The equalization levy must be increased

IG Metall, Mainforum, Gebäude, Fahnen
Foto: IG Metall

2 December 2019 2 December 2019

Frankfurt am Main – According to Hans-Jürgen Urban, executive board member of IG Metall, the planned amendment to the Regulation on Medical Care poses significant risks to the situation of people with severe disabilities. “This reform could reduce the opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in working life and undermine social security. That is unacceptable to us,” Urban said Monday in Frankfurt ahead of tomorrow’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This day was established by the United Nations in 1993 as a day of remembrance and action.

Urban calls for assistive devices, such as prosthetics, not to be taken into account when determining the degree of disability. “Such assistive devices do not fully compensate for the limitations that people with disabilities experience in the workplace.” Urban also opposes setting a time limit on the degree of disability. “That would require people to submit new applications to regain recognition as severely disabled. This could lead to gaps in care.” Furthermore, those affected, as well as unions and associations, must be more closely involved in reforming long-term care.

Urban: “We need an inclusive workplace where the path to full participation is open to everyone. This is all the more important given that pressure on jobs will increase as a result of the transformation.”

A person is considered severely disabled if they have a disability rating of at least 50. Companies with at least 20 employees are legally required to fill five percent of their positions with severely disabled individuals. Nationwide, however, this quota averages only 4.6 percent. Among private-sector companies, it is as low as 4.1 percent, while among public-sector employers, it stands at 5.6 percent. If employers do not meet this quota, they must pay a compensation levy. It ranges from 125 to 320 euros per month. Urban: “Many employers would rather pay the compensation levy than hire people with severe disabilities. This levy must therefore be significantly increased and should amount to at least 750 euros.”

A total of 7.8 million people in Germany are recognized as having severe disabilities, and just under one million are actively participating in the workforce. Only three percent of disabilities are congenital; most are caused by accidents, illnesses, or wear and tear.

Further information and press photos of Dr. Hans-Jürgen Urban

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