WORKPLACE EUROPE
EURES WORKING PARTY
Székesfehérvár, 25 May 2011
Claude Denagtergal – ETUC Advisor
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Aims and expectations
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General objectives:
To gather information about trade union activities to support
migrant and mobile workers and their families, increasing their
chances and opportunities for access to decent jobs and inclusion
and integration in workplaces and host societies.
Search innovative ways of informing, supporting, protecting and
organising migrant/mobile workers and their families.
The aims:
To help migrant/mobile workers (including temporary and posted
workers) to overcome barriers and obstacles to participate fully and
equally in labour markets across Europe
to inform trade unions across Europe about good practices and to
take up similar actions and activities in other countries/sectors
to develop good practice models that can be disseminated and
duplicated throughout Europe.
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COLLECTION OF GOOD PRACTICES
• An inventory of good practice examples and experiences with
trade union actions in the migration area, connected with three
general categories:
1. Providing migrant/mobile workers with information, advice and
support:
a) in their home country (before leaving) and/or
b) in the host country
2. Organising and recruiting migrant/mobile workers:
a) affiliating them to the unions established in the host country
and/or
b) recognizing their membership in unions established in the
home country.
3. Integrating migrant/mobile workers into the trade union
movement, workplace and working life of the host country.
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Regional Seminars
• 6 regional workshops to discuss outcomes and regional
experiences and needs, and come up with
recommendations for further action/activity both at
regional and ETUC level.
• Bristol, Barcelona, Trieste, Luxemburg, Bratislava, Tallin.
• 1 day each. Around 20 participants
• Presentation of the questionnaire outcomes in the region.
Validation of the outcomes and provision of more
information on trade union activities.
• Debates: positive and negative aspects; future scenarios;
recommendation and proposals for further action.
• Outcomes from the seminars. Last seminar: Bratislava
22nd June.
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Regional Seminars:countries
1. South-south: France, Spain and Portugal.
2. Centre-west: Belgium, Luxembourg, France and
Germany.
3. Centre-east: Poland, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech
Republic, Hungary and Germany.
4. North-east: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland,
Sweden and Denmark
5. South-east: Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia,
Cyprus, Malta and Croatia
6. North-west: Ireland, United Kingdom,
Netherlands, Poland and Latvia.
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Searching for a common language
• There is no agreement on basic definitions, specially:
• Mobile worker: person with nationality of one of the 27 EU member states
working in another EU member state. Based on mobility rights: free
movement of persons within the EU.
• Regular migrant worker: a person with third-country nationality (= non
EU) legally residing and legally working in an EU member state.
• Cross-border worker/commuter: person working in one EU member
state but having his/her main residence in the territory of another EU
member state to which he/she goes back regularly (at least once a week).
• Posted worker: a person who, in the frame of the provision of services, i.e.
as a worker of a foreign subcontractor, as a worker of an intermediary or as
a worker of a service provider, and for a limited period of time, carries out
his/her work in the territory of an EU member state other than the state in
which he/she normally works.
Confusion with posted workers from third countries whose
undertaking is in a third country.
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Some general achievements of TU actions
on migration and mobility
• Increasing of affiliation: although difficult to assess: lack
of data, lack of evaluation systems.
• TU Cooperation generates: TU agreements at sectoral level
and creation of cooperation structures (IRTUC)
• New working methods to deal with new groups: youth,
migrants. Challenge: being more flexible, less
bureaucratic. Addressing precariousness
• Better image of trade unions when developing actions in
favour of migration
• To counter the trend of social dumping and exploitation of
foreign workers
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Some achievements of TU actions on
migration and mobility
• TUs activities on information, advice and support
of migrant workers in both countries of origin and
destination are wide-spread, well structured and
organised, help to prevent wage dumping and
predatory competition. Two models: Mediterranean
model (Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece); IRTUCs
• Organising and recruiting migrant workers:
positive results through migrant organizers;
secondment of foreign TU officers; organising
campaigns targeting migrants
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Some achievements of TU actions on
migration and mobility
Actions on integration:
• change of attitude towards migrants
• show solidarity among workers and their TU
organizations
• develop a horizontal and integrative approach to
migration to encourage social, cultural, economic
and labour integration in equal conditions
• diversity management through collective bargaining
• help counter the increasing of xenophobia and
creating solidarity and respect for workers rights
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Common ground
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Information and support centers for migrant workers
Cross-border TU cooperation
Employment observatories on migration/mobility issues
Monitoring migration flows/addressing labour market
shortages
Training on migration issues for TU officers
Statistics and data on migrant workers
Collective bargaining guidelines on migration and diversity
Creation of specific structures in the TU to integrate migrant
workers or to deal with migrant issues
Social and labour insertion of migrants through professional
training
Actions to counter extreme right political discourse against
migration
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Common ground
• Employing foreign language speaking organisers
• Setting up specific organising campaigns which aim at
sectors where migrants are predominant
• Cooperation and support with NGOs and migrant
organisations
• Language courses
• Transnational TU coordination and networking
• Protection of fundamental human rights in a non-punitive
approach
• Capacity to involve regional governments in agreement for
cross-border workers
• Agreements of recognition of membership
• Strategy of public pressure as a way of transposing the
problems into the policy arena
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Common ground
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Printed material and advice in different languages
Permanent presence in migrant events and media
Migrant organizers and counsellors in the unions
Free legal advice and representation
Cooperation with NGO
TU specific structures for migrants
Sensibilization of public opinion
Training in stereotypes and discrimination
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Common ground
• EURES is an important instrument. Unions as
guarantors of fair mobility in border region.
Transnational TU coordination and
networking
• Cooperation with TU in countries of origin
• Information desks and in different languages
• Organising undoc. migrants inside the union
in a special committee
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I. Good Practices: Information,
advice and support
1. Actions to prepare and adapt the trade
union to give adequate answers to
migrant/mobile workers
2. Actions to provide information and
support to migrant/mobile workers
directly
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Good Practices: Information, advice
and support
• IRTUCs: cross-border TU structures for cooperation: different aspects
facilitate regional TU cooperation (mutual knowledge, frequent
contacts, EURES framework): labour market observatories,
recognition of qualifications, training, remove administrative burdens;
promotion of transnational collective agreements; Eures advisers
network. Focused on “cross-border workers”.
• Meditarrean model: support centers for migrant workers: labour, legal
info advice and support; legal assistance in tribunals; integral attention;
TU cooperation with countries of origin (even non EU); info and
advice to workers in country of origin; brochures in different
languages; sensibilization activities; labour insertion itineraries;
webpages; newspapers;
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Baltic Sea Labour Network
Baltic Sea Labour Network: institutions providing assistance
to migrant workers; produce info on their employment
conditions; determining their needs and barriers to internal
mobility; institutions responsible for coordination of
professional training and labour market requirements.
- Network of institutions dealing with migrant workers in
Poland and Polish workers abroad
- Study on working and living conditions of Polish migrants
- Information for migrant workers in Poland
- Research on recognition of migrant worker qualifications
and diplomas
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II. Good Practices: Integration
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Training, information and education activities
Integration through collective bargaining
Social and labour insertion through professional
and occupational training
Sensibilization activities on migration issues
Cultural and sport activities
General TU activity on migrant workers as a
way of integration
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Union policies related to
the integration of mobile/migrant workers
in the workplace/labour market
• Incorporation of migration issues into collective
bargaining and negotiate diversity plans at the
workplace
• Agreements with employers regarding integration
and non-discrimination of migrants in the
workplace/labour market
• Agreements that incorporate issues referring to the
situation and/or special needs of migrant workers
• Participation in labour market observatories where
migration issues are dealt with
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Conference 27-28
September 2010 Brussels
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Presentation of good practices and debates
Working groups to validate
outcomes/draft report and make proposals
and recommendations on:
1. Lines of strategies/actions
2. Ways of TU cooperation
3. Mutual recognition of membership
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PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. PROPOSALS FOR SPECIFIC ACTIONS
(at international, European and national levels)
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ACTIONS RELATED TO INFORMATION, ADVICE
AND SUPPORT
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ACTIONS RELATED TO ORGANIZING AND
RECRUITING MOBILE AND MIGRANT WORKERS
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2. POLICY RECOMMANDATIONS ON MIGRATION
POLICY
• THE FIGHT AGAINST RACISM AND
XENOPHOBIA
• AVOIDING SOCIAL DUMPING
• LABOUR INSPECTIONS
• INFLUENCING THE EUROPEAN MIGRATION
AGENDA
• MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF MEMBERSHIP
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FOLLOW UP - NEXT STEPS
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE FREE MOVEMENT
OF MIGRANT WORKERS
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ETUC XIIth CONGRESS (Athens, 16-19 May 2011)
ETUC STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN
2011-2014
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THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
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