EMF Seminar

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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
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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

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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

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A new vision for Europe?!

• A new social deal ............
• Protection, to prevent protectionism !

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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

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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

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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

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Safeguarding mobility

• Basic principles equal treatment and fair
  competition ( EU Treaties !)
• Make national systems mobility proof
• EU rules of the game

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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'

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Internal market rules versus national labour law
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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 gt subcontracting-trafficking

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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?!

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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 !