The legal fight to get equal pay for Germany's disabled workers
Summary
A court case in Germany challenges the practice of paying disabled workers in sheltered workshops less than the minimum wage because they are not considered employees. Around 300,000 disabled people work in these workshops, and the case could impact their pay and rights.Key Facts
- About 300,000 disabled people in Germany work in sheltered workshops.
- Workers in these workshops are paid less than the legal minimum wage.
- They are not officially employees, so minimum wage laws and some other rights do not apply.
- Jürgen Linnemann, a 57-year-old disabled worker, is seeking legal recognition as an employee with the right to minimum wage.
- The sheltered workshop system often keeps disabled people segregated from mainstream jobs.
- Many disabled people are placed in these workshops after attending special schools.
- German companies must hire a minimum number of disabled workers or pay compensation into a fund.
- Some companies pay the compensation fee instead of hiring, and outsourcing to workshops reduces the fee they pay.
- Fewer than 1% of disabled workers move from workshops to regular jobs.
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