1

Prague, 26 February 2009 Ministerial conference

“ Strengthening EU competitiveness – potential of migrants on the labour market”

Towards a single European labour market a European trade union perspective

on mobility and migration

Catelene Passchier

The Challenges

• The financial/economic crisis: unemployment on the rise

• Climate change• The demographic challenges;

feminisation of the workforce• Migration from outside, mobility within• Europe in the wider world; poverty

increasing

Responses urgent to:

• Excesses capitalism and unfettered search for short term profit

• Rising inequality • Deterioration quality of jobs: precariousness• Internal market rules invading national

(social) space• Strong feelings of insecurity• Protectionism, nationalism, xenophobia

A new vision for Europe?!

• A new social deal ............

• Protection, to prevent protectionism !

3 areas for action

• Combat racism and xenophobia, promote integration and equal opportunities of migrant and ethnic minority workers

• A better framework for mobility within the EU: European rules of the game

• A proactive policy on economic migration

Equality and integration

• A genuine two way process• Full citizenship • Access to education, housing etc• Access to quality employment• Respect for cultural and religious difference• Act against discrimination • Awareness raising positive contribution

migrants

Role social partners

• Equal access to employment needs targeted and joint activity

• Act on workplace discrimination and harrassment

• Invest in language skills, training • Works councils and workplace rep's to reach

out, inform and support • Unions to organise and represent

Safeguarding mobility

• Basic principles: equal treatment and fair competition ( EU Treaties !)

• Make national systems mobility proof• EU rules of the game

EU rules of the game

• Host country principle wages and working conditions = basis free movement of workers

• Equal access social support systems• Respect national industrial relations and

collective bargaining • Monitoring and enforcement labour

standards• Rethink rules on workers moving in

framework of 'services'

10

Internal market rules versus national labour law

Proactive migration policy (1)

• More focus on employment and development, less on security and repression

• Priority for investing in unemployed and underemployed workers already on EU territory, including migrants and ethnic minorities

• Emphasis on human rights: migrants are no merchandise > subcontracting-trafficking

Proactive migration policy (2)

• Legal channels for economic migration at all skills levels, prevent two tier migration policy, selecting 'those we want' and expelling 'those we do not want'

• Prevent brain and youth drain • Bridges out of 'illegality' for undocumented

workers: recognition of social, labour and human rights

• “what price the tomatoes?!”

Priority 1: strengthen social dimension EU

• Mobility and migration: from restrictions to conditions

• Combining open borders and protection• Strong involvement social partners • Respect social systems • EU is about social progress !