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ICTU and IBEC Announce Workplace Passport Scheme for Workers with Disability
Scheme allows workers carry out their work on an equal footing with others
Congress General Secretary Patricia King and Danny McCoy CEO of IBEC have launched a Workplace Accommodation Passport scheme to enable disabled workers to carry out their work on an equal footing with others. The joint launch took place on International Day of People with Disabilities.
Often there are fears around what reasonable accommodation in the workplace means – the Reasonable Accommodation Passport will help the conversations to happen.
Structured conversations about the impact of disability and what supports individuals needs are facilitated by the Reasonable Accommodation Passport.
Decent work is now a crucial part of Agenda 2030 and the sustainable development goals that chart the global development agenda for the next 11 years. Target 8.5 set out under Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals - states that:
“By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value”.
Patricia King said,
"we believe that social dialogue is a key mechanism to ensure that the goals are achieved and that is why we have embarked on this joint initiative and we hope that the scheme will prove a useful one for advancing the employment and retention of disabled people in Irish workplaces".
She said
"the scheme was brought to our attention by the TUC in the UK and the GMB trade union who brought a motion urging trade union support for such an initiative in Ireland. The motion – which has the strong support of our Disability Committee – acknowledged the significant benefit of quality work for disabled people and recognises the valuable contribution that they make to the workplace. Equality legislation requires employers to make reasonable accommodation to enable disabled workers to carry out their work on an equal footing with others".
The General Secretary said
"the right of disabled people to decent work is frequently denied. We hope that this joint launch will lead to the widespread use of the model in Irish workplaces and makes a contribution to the attainment of decent work for our disabled members".
Danny McCoy CEO of IBEC said
“the Passport is a tool to support individuals in fulfilling their potential and contributing to their own success and that of the organisation. It is hoped that it will form one of the supports to encourage the employment of people with disabilities and open up conversations around reasonable accommodation”.
