The Mobility Challenge in Practice

A mobility culture for workers: the social partners’ perspective

SINTTAV Conference: Promoting Workers’ Mobility in the European Telecom and Media Sectors – Dialogue, Partnership

and Action

Liina Carr, International Secretary, the Confederation of Estonian Trade Unions (EAKL)

LISBON, 27 January 2007

Workers’ mobility is characterised by two terms: mobility and migration.

Mobility is usually understood as any kind of movement of work/jobs or production from one region to another (includes movement from country to country) - interregional mobility - or within one region -intraregional mobility.

Migration is the geographical movement of people that necessitates a change in residency. Thus migration is more permanent than mobility.

Workers’ mobility: terms

Ideal conditions for free movement of workers

migration does not bring any expenses

migration is totally risk free

migrants have full and free information

migrants behave rationally

migrants are autonomous individuals without

any social background

there are no obstacles to migration (legal, cultural,

linguistic etc.).

Trends in mobility in EU

Trends in mobility of workers in the EU

Earlier mobility from South to North is replaced by

returning to home country

Blue collar mobility replaced by white collar mobility

Mobility within companies

Permanent migration is replaced by temporary and

short-term trips abroad (e.g. within various EU projects)

Factors influencing flows of workers’ mobility?

Demographic processes Labour market situation Income and salary differences Geographical proximity Existing migration traditions and networks Cultural and linguistic barriers Ethnic and political problems Expectations and other factors

Effects of migration on country of origin

Increased mobility within a country Money transfers of migrants, positive effects on

home country’s economy (higher demand) Reduces the need to train workers for certain

occupations/jobs Increased salaries in sectors with labour

shortages

Effects of migration on the recipient country

Migration of white collar workers increases the employment rate, blue collar workers’ migration pushes local workers out of the labour market

Increased internal demand Increased variety of goods and services Assimilation problems increase alienation and

crime and creation of ghettos Social dumping and black labour market

Reports

Report on the Functioning of the Transitional Arrangements set out in the 2003 Accession Treaty (period 1 May 2004-30 April 2006)

(http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/key en.html)

European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) Report on the Free Movement of Workers - Who’s afraid of EU enlargement? 2006

(http://www.ecas.org/file_uploads/1182.pdf)

A year after accession

The UK was the main destination for workers from new member states: Poles 56% (98 235), Lithuanians (26 145) 15%, followed by Czechs and Slovaks (7%)

Ireland: ca 40 000 Poles, 18 000 Lithuanians, 9 000 Latvians.

Altogether ca 450 000 Polish workers in the EU15. Main destination countries Germany (21%), the UK (21%), Italy (11%), Holland (7%) and Ireland (7%).

Portugal, Greece, Spain, Finland, Island and Norway and a little later also Italy ended the transitional periods for new member states.

Practice

Who needs mobility – workers, businesses, politicians?

What can trade unions do to facilitate mobility? SAK Infopoint Estonian and Finnish Nurses’ Unions Polish trade unions’ cooperation with the TUC Irish trade unions’ leaflets in 10 new languages Closer cross-boarder cooperation between TUs

Posted workers and temporary employment agencies?