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

Mobility of Workers in EU: Historical Dimension When talking about migration in the EU, from a historical point of view we can divide it into four different periods (OECD 2003): 1. Migration relating to employment and building up Europe (II World War – mid 1970s) 2. Economic crisis and reunification of families ( ). 3. Division in migration, increase in the numbers of asylum seekers and migration of minority groups (from end of 1980s to end of 1990s). 4. Migration related to employment with emphasis on temporary workers and high-skilled workers (from the end of 1990s).

Trends in workers’ mobility in the 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

What are the needs of the EU labour market?  EU countries need additional labour  EU labour markets need certain categories of high- skilled workers IT, medical and other specialists Officials in EU institutions-organisations Growing possibilities for project based migration  EU labour markets need low skilled workers in the services sector  Increased possibilities for studying abroad

Future prognoses of the needs of the EU labour markets According to the prognoses by 2030 the workforce from the Eastern European countries would make up 1,1% of the total EU workforce According to the UN the EU needs 1,4 million new people a year ( ) Germany needs people a year in order to keep the level of current social security/care system

Results from first years  Mobility flows between the EU10 and the EU15 are very limited and are simply not large enough to affect the EU labour market in general.  The percentage of EU10 nationals in the resident population of each EU15 Member State was relatively stable before and after enlargement.  The migration flows following the enlargement have had positive effects on the economies of the EU15 Member States.  The employment rate has increased in several countries since enlargement.  Sectoral composition of the national workforce has not showed significant change in , demonstrating that the limited inflow of workers from EU10 Member States did not crowd out national workers.  The skill composition of the EU10 workforce would also support the view that EU10 nationals contribute to national economies in a complementary way.

Reports  Report on the Functioning of the Transitional Arrangements set out in the 2003 Accession Treaty (period 1 May April 2006) ( en.html)  European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) Report on the Free Movement of Workers - Who’s afraid of EU enlargement? 2006 (

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 Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians.  Altogether ca 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?