Disabled persons
Under the Swiss Federal Constitution, "no one may be discriminated against,
especially [...] on account of a physical, mental or psychological
disability"
(Article 8).
The Federal Office for Justice has drawn up a Federal Law on
Equality of Disabled Persons, which will come into force on 1 January 2004.
This law provides for the elimination, or at least mitigation, of unequal
treatment of disabled persons in Swiss society – in particular, in the fields
of public transport, buildings (homes) and services. To satisfy the needs of the
disabled, a number of Federal laws must be amended – for example, the
Telecommunications Law, the Federal Law on Vocational Training and the Road
Traffic Law – the amendments to all of which will also take effect on 1
January 2004. Even if the new Federal Law does not go far enough in the opinion
of the aid organisations for the disabled, whose main objection is that it does
not contain any measures for occupational integration, it nevertheless
constitutes a major step forward on the path that will eventually lead to
equality for the disabled.
The Office for Equality of Persons with Disabilities,
which will commence work shortly, will have the same objective.
The Office for Equality of Persons with Disabilities
The Office for Equality of Persons with Disabilities, which will operate
under the auspices of the General Secretariat of the Federal Department of the
Interior, will commence activity as soon as the Law comes into force. Its
functions will be as follows:
- improvement of information on the specific needs of disabled persons;
- initiation of and support for programmes and information campaigns;
- coordination of activities of the private and public institutions working in
this field;
- periodic analysis of the effectiveness of the measures adopted.
For further information on this subject, see the websites listed below.
Young workers
Work by young people is regulated by the Federal Labour Law for Industry,
Commerce and Trade (Labour Law). The term "young workers" relates to young
people of both sexes up to the age of 19 inclusive and apprentices up to the age
of 20 inclusive.
The main provisions of the Law for this category of employees
are as follows:
- Young people up to the age of 15 inclusive must not be employed except in
certain special cases (young people over the age of 13 may be used for messenger
services and light work; young people below the age of 15 may be employed for
cultural, artistic and sporting performances and in advertising).
- Daily working time must not exceed nine hours (including any overtime and
compulsory education during working hours).
- Young people up to the age of 16 inclusive must not be employed after 20.00
(and young people over 16 after 22.00).
- Young people must not work overtime until they have reached the age of 16.
- Young people may not be employed for night-time and Sunday work (with possible
exceptions for the purposes of vocational training).
Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2006
Reproduction is authorised.
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