Bastun - Baltic Sea Trade Union Network

 
Mobility of Labour: Blessing or Curse?

audience.jpgTripartite Forum on Mobility of Labour in the Baltic Sea Region was held on 25 November 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was organised by Baltic Sea Labour Network (BASTUN) and Council of Nordic Trade Unions (NFS), Friedrich Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and partly financed by EU. The forum was the first event of the "Baltic Sea Labour Network" project.

More than 80 participants attended the Conference, which brought together relevant actors and experts including representatives from employer organisations, trade unions, politicians, governments and researchers to tackle challenges evolving out of the mobility of labour.

Together the participants examined whether the mobility of labour is blessing or curse for the Baltic Sea region?



Content of the Forum

challenges.jpgThe mobility of labour was mainly seen positively, even though more critical views were also presented. The discussion touched upon existing trends of the mobility of labour force, variations of traditions in industrial relations in the region, comparison of national policies and the balance of economic freedoms and labour rights in given countries, and came up with possible solutions.

The discussions emphasized experience and problem areas in sustaining enhanced working conditions, in ensuring equality between the workers (locals and migrants), in safeguarding competitiveness of national economies. Not least, it was important to consider how to promote the Baltic Sea Region in the rest of Europe as a frontrunner and a model of sustainable labour markets and policies.




Paths Forward

The outcomes of the Forum will be used as basis for further work in connection to the “Baltic Sea Labour Network” project, which is a joint initiative of trade unions, employer organisations, government bodies and politicians of the Baltic Sea region.

 
Outcomes

  • The Baltic Sea region should be developed to a model for the rest of Europe in terms of sustainable labour markets and labour policies
  • Baltic Sea Strategy a tool for joint visions and policies
  • A relatively positive view on migration and the free movement of labour 
  • No to A and B labour markets
  • A need for developing a strategy on labour markets in the Baltic Sea region
  • Levelling the quality of labour markets towards more coordinated models, with the view to make them more attractive for workers
  • The rights of individual workers should be protected regardless nationality (non-discrimination)
  • Standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) should be widely implemented in order to foster further improvements of the labour market conditions
  • It is key to enhance and deepen dialogue between the social partners when it comes to formulating labour policies or other activities
  • The work on bringing down further barriers for labour mobility (especially, for workers from third countries) and developing appropriate conditions to integrate them into societies should be continued
  • Education for national and EU parliamentarians in terms of labour market issues
  • One should investigate (thought exchanging information) statistics on cross-border labour commuters
  • Services to migrant workers in respective language (for example telephone hot-lines)
  • Some speakers reiterated the importance of having the BASTUN as an advisory body to the CBSS in order to help promoting social dialogue in the Baltic Sea Region.
 
 

               

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