Unia, the Centre for Equal Opportunities, is calling for additional measures in response to time-limited unemployment benefits, fearing that certain vulnerable groups will be disproportionately affected.
Their concerns arise amid recent discussions in the Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs over reform proposals. Research indicates that vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, older individuals, and those of foreign origin, face significant barriers in job searches and experience discrimination in the labour market.
Without strong policies against discrimination, the reform risks punishing those already struggling due to persistent bias, states Unia. The centre advocates for measures to combat workplace discrimination.
Unia suggests activating inspection services for large-scale discrimination checks, requiring employers to implement preventive anti-discrimination policies, positive action in both private and public sectors, and approving an ambitious action plan for people with disabilities.
“You cannot seek to activate job seekers while ignoring the structural discrimination that prevents them from securing employment,” concludes Els Keytsman De Ronne, director of Unia.
