Post-accession migration in construction and trade union responses in Denmark, Norway and the UK

Abstract

The article provides a comparative analysis of trade union responses to the arrival of CEE workers in Denmark, Norway and the UK, with a special emphasis on the organizing efforts of construction workers' unions. Organizing has been seen as a crucial element in avoiding a situation where the presence of CEE workers may lead to low-wage competition and social dumping. On the basis of case studies from Copenhagen, Oslo and the North-East of England the article analyses how the unions' strategies on recruiting migrants were developed, the novelty of these strategies and results when it comes to member ship gains.

Stepping up to strike: a union mobilization case study of Polish migrant workers in the Netherlands

“…In addition to research on firm recruitment practices, regulatory change and trade union enforcement (e.g. Fellini et al 2007;MacKenzie and Forde 2009;Cremers 2011;Wagner 2014;Eldring et al 2012), this chapter analysed worker practices and shows that it is workers' (strategic) behaviour that intentionally and unintentionally contributes to the continuation of current oppressive employment relations. As shown, manoeuvring the job market as it is currently organised creates strategic rewards for many of these…”

“…Union organising literature focuses on how changes in power relations at the workplace level can be achieved (Heery 2005;Bronfenbrenner 1998), whereas critical industrial relations literature links workplace struggles to inequalities cast by society at large (Elger 2001). Though some trade unions may have been reluctant in the past to represent migrant workers (Penninx and Roosblad 2000), studies have shown that immigrants, migrant workers with settling intentions and circular migrants do join trade unions when unions make strategic and resourceful efforts to include them (Pereira 2007;Skjaervø 2011;Eldring et al 2012;Milkman 2000). However, an increasing share of migrant workers, especially in construction, does not settle down in certain places but continues to move between contracts, worksites and countries.…”

“…Trade unions may use social regulation to protect migrants from unrestrained market competition . Many unions have made efforts to include migrants and other precarious workers as members to reduce the marginalisation of these workers and to protect their existing members' interests (see Adler et al 2014;Holgate 2005;Holgate 2011;Connolly et al 2011;Fitzgerald and Hardy 2010;Eldring et al 2012;Alberti et al 2013;Vandaele and Leschke 2010;Keune 2013;Bernaciak et al 2014;Hardy et al 2012;Wills 2009;Milkman 2000Milkman , 2006. Despite these efforts, migrants remain underrepresented in trade union membership, as they tend to work more often in sectors or workplaces where trade union presence is weak or non-existent (Gorodzeisky and Richards 2013).…”

“…Several interviewees mentioned countries with strong labour regulations, for example, Finland and Norway, as being particularly desirable places to work. In this context, in practice strong labour regulation means well-enforced extended collective agreements (Lillie and Greer 2007;Eldring et al 2012) and can be considered a strong pull factor. The arranged migration trajectory simplifies the decision-making and migration process and obviates the need to adjust to a host society.…”

“…Arguably, hyper-mobile workers represent an existential challenge to union regulation and collective bargaining in many EU countries. Research has shown that the EU regulatory regime and employer strategies complicate unions' ability to organise and represent these workers (Cremers 2011;Wagner 2014;Dølvik and Visser 2009;Kilpatrick 2009), and that unions in many places need to develop new strategies given the diverse workforces they encounter (Connolly et al 41 This chapter is co-authored with Nathan Lillie and forthcoming in Eldring et al 2012;Bengtsson 2013;Greer et al 2013;Kahmann 2006). This chapter shows using the Eemshaven example, that even in the Dutch case, where the labour law is relatively favourable, and the union representation strategy well-resourced and sophisticated, the unions were unable to arrive at a sustainable way to represent hyper-mobile workers.…”