Labour Law Research Network Inaugural Conference
Mon, 01 Jul 2013 15:45:00 BST
From the 13th to the 15th June the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona held their inaugural conference for the Labour Law Research Network and the University of Huddersfield was represented by Rebecca Kelly and Jackie Lane from the law department. Looking at the general area of ‘Labour Law and its Others’ their paper undertook a comparative analysis between Danish and British attitudes towards disabled adults in the workplace.
Both the UK and Denmark are subject to European Union law but interpretation and implementation can vary as a result of differing cultural perspectives in the two countries with regards to those with a disability. Denmark has a long history of providing social assistance having established the foundations for a universal welfare state as early as the 1890s and is renowned for its active employment policies during the ‘Danish miracle’ from 1994 as well as a result of the Active Social Policy Act 1998. These conditions provided fertile ground for Thorkil Sonne to establish ‘Specialisterne’ a company that seeks to make the most of the skills possessed by those with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Meanwhile the UK has also come along leaps and bounds in this area during recent years with legislation such as the Autism Act 2009 and the Equality Act 2010 which have helped to shape the relevant definitions for the purposes of the law. Such a position has allowed the UK to adopt a more liberal and sympathetic approach to disability discrimination meaning the government has even gone beyond the EU directives requirements.
Overall there is a lot that each country can learn from the other in this area and Rebecca and Jackie’s full conference paper is available here: http://www.upf.edu/gredtiss/_pdf/2013-LLRNConf_LanexKelly_xv2x.pdf
