OGBL demands fundamental reform of the status of workers with disabilities in Luxembourg

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The OGBL's Department of Disabled Workers (DTH) has been pushing for a fundamental reform of the status of disabled workers in Luxembourg for over 10 years. The existing law, adopted back in 2003, is not up to date and has not been seriously revised since then. Although some improvements have been adopted in recent years, they remain fragmented and insufficient, resulting in discrimination against workers with disabilities in the primary labour market.

In recent years, the DTH has achieved partial improvements in legislation. For example, the "Revenu pour personnes gravement handicapées (RPGH)" refund mechanism, which previously required people with disabilities to repay benefits if their financial situation improved, was abolished. In addition, it has been simplified for employers hiring employees with disabilities to receive state aid. Now every company that employs a person with a disability automatically receives 40 per cent of their salary as a subsidy from the state.

Also in 2019, professional inclusion assistance was introduced, which involves supporting and adapting the workplace to meet the needs of an employee with a disability. However, the DTH emphasises that this measure is only a partial implementation of the Jobcoaching concept proposed by the union in 2010. Full-fledged Jobcoaching involves preparing workers with disabilities for employment in the primary labour market, as well as support during the job search process, which does not yet exist in the current system.

The OGBL is pushing for fundamental changes in legislation on the status of workers with disabilities. Key demands include:

Introduction of the status of "pupil with a disability"

Status would allow young people with disabilities to more easily access vocational training and internships. Currently, such young people face serious difficulties in finding internships, as employers are not obliged to provide them with adapted equipment.

Strengthening control over compliance with quotas for jobs for persons with disabilities

In Luxembourg, companies are obliged to hire a certain percentage of employees with disabilities: 5% for public institutions and between 1% and 4% for private companies, depending on the number of employees. In practice, these quotas are often not respected and the mechanism for monitoring them is not sufficiently effective. OGBL proposes to use the French model, whereby companies that do not fulfil the quotas are obliged to either outsource part of their work to sheltered workshops or make a financial contribution to a fund to support workers with disabilities.

Cross-border recognition of disability status within the Greater Region

Currently, people who have a disabled worker status in one of these countries have to go through the whole procedure of confirming the status anew when employed in Luxembourg. OGBL believes that mutual recognition of disability statuses is necessary to facilitate labour migration and improve employment conditions in the Greater Region.

The current system discriminates against workers with disabilities, creating barriers to employment and limiting their rights to full participation in economic life. The OGBL emphasises that reform of the status of workers with disabilities is necessary to ensure equal opportunities, improve inclusion and social justice in Luxembourg.

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