Trade Union Guide on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Public Services

Trade Union Guide on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Public Services

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This PSI/ILO trade union guide serves as a tool to promote equal opportunities and equal treatment for persons with disabilities in the workplace and support their right to work in open, safe, stable, inclusive and accessible environments.

Promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace is an essential component of decent work and social justice. For decades, this commitment has been upheld by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Public Services International (PSI). It is not only an ethical imperative, but also a crucial step towards building fairer, more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable societies.

This guide, the product of collaboration between ILO and PSI, is a further expression of this commitment. It serves as a tool to promote equal opportunities and equal treatment for persons with disabilities in the workplace and support their right to work in open, safe, stable, inclusive and accessible environments.

The guide showcases examples of public service unions that have integrated workers with disabilities into their organization, as well as into social dialogue and collective bargaining. However, there is considerable room for improvement, and this guide points to how such improvements can be made.

Given their strategic role, public service unions are in a unique position to promote decent work for persons with disabilities in the public sector. This not only benefits workers with disabilities but also helps create more accessible and inclusive public services for all. Public sector trade unions must lead by example in advancing the inclusion of persons with disabilities in their workplaces. The recommendations provided in this guide will also be valuable to other trade unions around the world.