In January 2003, Luxembourg's OGB-L trade union confederation opened a new disabled workers’ department. It will promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities, not only in employment and training, but also in other areas.
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In January 2003, Luxembourg's OGB-L trade union confederation opened a new disabled workers’ department. It will promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities, not only in employment and training, but also in other areas.
The Luxembourg Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (Onofhängege Gewerkschafts-Bond Lëtzebuerg, OGB-L) opened a new 'disabled workers’ department' (département des travailleurs handicapés) on 20 January 2003. Its officials consist almost exclusively of people with disabilities, and disabled OGB-L members are automatically members.
The president of the OGB-L has stated that credit for setting up this department lies with the union confederation’s members with disabilities, who put in all the preliminary work, in the hope that gains made during 2003, the European Year of People with Disabilities (EU0209201N) will be maintained in the future.
The law of 12 November 1991 relating to workers with disabilities imposes on administrations and private and public enterprises certain quotas of jobs reserved for disabled workers (TN0102201S). This quota is supposed to be 5% in the public sector, but in practice no more than 2.18% of workers have disabilities. Figures for the private sector are not available. The president of OGB-L's new department has pointed out that the 1991 law provides for a sanction in respect of enterprises that do not comply with the mandatory quota, in the form of a fine equivalent to half the minimum salary for each disabled worker not hired below the quota. In this context, he has argued for a monitoring body aimed at punishing enterprises that do not comply with the law.
The education of disabled people is seen by OGB-L as another weak feature of Luxembourg disability policy. It states that: 'An easy solution has been adopted whereby all disabled children of compulsory school age being placed in special schools. The education that they are given cannot be placed on the same footing as orthodox education; what is more, the diplomas awarded by these institutions do not enjoy the same degree of recognition in the labour market. Assuming the same intellectual ability, a disabled child should follow the same educational pathway as any other child.'
The OGB-L disabled workers’ department will not only address training and employment, but will also deal with all the problems that people with disabilities may encounter, stating: 'to promote access to sport and culture, to buildings and transport, is to defend disabled people’s right to dignity.'
The president elect of OGB-L has stated that 'disabled people must not be the first victims when the economic situation deteriorates', and has announced that 'the rights of these people will be taken into account when the new National Action Plan [for Employment] is being drafted'. Many physically disabled job-seekers are automatically hired by special institutions, and a number of sheltered workshops, which aim to bring disabled people back into employment, operate in Luxembourg.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2003), OGB-L sets up disabled workers' department, article.
