Selfemployment and bogus selfemployment in the food and drink industry The meat sector

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Self-employment and bogus self-employment in
the food and drink industry The meat
sector EFBWW-ETUI-REHS seminar Vilnius 8 June
2007
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EFFAT

• Merger of EFA and ECF-IUF in 2000
• Agriculture - Food industry HORECA
• "From farm to fork"
• 125 member organisations
• 36 European countries

EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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EFFAT

• Advocating members interests vis-à- vis the
  European Institutions
• Managing European sectoral social dialogues
• Organising and supporting the work of EWCs
• Coordinating national collective bargaining
  policies

EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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EFFAT free-movement of workers

• All 3 sectors concerned
• Very different impacts - timing -
  methods of recruitment - profile of the
  workers
• Very different replies - documents -
  leaflets - networking

EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the food and drink
industry

• A crucial problem in the meat sector
• Economic importance of this sector
• Different contexts thus different forms
• Does not affect all European countries

EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector
Some countries are less concerned, e.g. -
France - Denmark - Belgium
EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector
while in others situation is dramatic -
Germany - Spain - The Netherlands -
United Kingdom - Poland - Hungary
EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector

• Germany
• Worst situation in Europe
• In 2003 and 2004, repeated scandals in a Top 5
  meat group (DS) but common practices
• No enforcable sectoral collective agreement
• High level of external labour (50)
• Self-employed represent more than 30

EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector

• Germany
• Mainly from New Member States, but not only
• Same tasks but not same wages, nor same
  conditions
• Linked to criminal activities
• Consequences on neighbouring countries

EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector

• Germany
• Insufficient administrative controls
• NGG commitments
• Worries from UECBV
• EFFAT met Kyprianou Commission officials

EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector

• Spain
• Increasing problem
• Self-employed are mainly Spanish
• Original organisation Cooperativa de Trabajo
  Asociado
• Widening scope of Collective Agreements to CTA
• Limit self-employed to 10

EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector
The Netherlands Central problem working
conditions About 30 of meat workers are from
Poland Widespread use of temporary agency
workers Illegal agencies and illegal
practices "German passport" network
EFBWW ETUI-REHS seminar, Vilnius, 7/8/9 June
2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector

• Poland Hungary
• Loss of skilled workforce
• Downward spiral on wages and working conditions
• Recruitment of Ukrainian workers
• Creation of illegal activities
• Hungarian social partners joined forces to
  combat unfair competition and loss of jobs

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2007
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Bogus self-employmentin the meat sector

• EFFAT replies
• Networking mutual information best
  practices (TU EWCs)
• Lobbying the European institutions
• Fostering dialogue with European employers
  through CSR initiative
• Promoting sectoral social dialogue in Poland
• Informing migrant workers of their rights

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2007
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Thank you for your attention www.effat.org