Frankfurt am Main – The IG Metall trade union is demanding higher penalties for companies that do not meet the statutory quota for employing people with severe disabilities. Hans-Jürgen Urban, executive board member said: “Participation must not end at the factory gate. Disabled people are doing themselves and society a disservice in times of a shortage of skilled workers and transformation. People with disabilities are not a cost factor but an opportunity factor.”
On the World Day of People with Disabilities on December 3, the trade union criticizes the fact that one in four companies that are required to hire no people with disabilities at all. They prefer to pay the statutory monthly compensatory levy for each vacant mandatory job. Urban: “The operational barriers have to come down. Nobody should be able to afford to lock out disabled people anymore.”
The IG Metall is therefore demanding new penalties: companies with a zero proportion of severely disabled people should pay 750 euros a month per position in the future. So far, the maximum compensatory levy is 360 euros with an annual average employment rate of less than 2 percent.
Especially in view of the economic upheaval, IG Metall is calling on companies to be more inclusive. “The behavior of the companies that refuse to be included is a human indictment of poverty and costs everyone dearly,” said Urban. With severely disabled people, companies also do without well-qualified staff. Urban: “Severely disabled unemployed people are often better qualified than others. Nevertheless, they often remain unemployed for much longer or are employed in companies in simpler jobs.” Most severe disabilities only affect people in the course of their lives.
According to IG Metall, an essential key to good inclusion in the company and work processes is co-determination by representatives of severely disabled people (SBV). According to that “DGB Index Good Work” employees in companies with SBV benefit from better working hours, pay, health promotion, further training and loyalty to the company.