Company – Hanover – DGB: Too few people with disabilities employed – Economy
Hanover (dpa / lni) – According to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Lower Saxony companies should train and employ more people with disabilities. “For people with disabilities, the labor market is still exclusive instead of inclusive,” said the chairman of the DGB Lower Saxony, Mehrdad Payandeh, on the occasion of the European protest day on equality for people with disabilities on Thursday (May 5). The corona pandemic has had a negative impact. “Once people with disabilities have lost their jobs, it is much more difficult for them to find a new one.”
According to the DGB, Lower Saxony does not meet the statutory quota of five percent of severely disabled employees. According to figures from 2020, 4.3 percent of all people were severely disabled. The rate was 4 percent for private employers and 5.2 percent for public ones.
Of the 16,377 companies with more than 20 employees who have to meet the quota, every fourth company has not taken on a single severely disabled person, according to the statement on Wednesday. The law stipulates that companies must pay a fee if they fail to meet the quota. This should be raised overall, the trade union federation demanded. Companies with no severe disabilities should therefore pay 1300 euros per month, currently 320 euros are planned.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220504-99-153351/2