ABSTRACT
Ireland and the United Kingdom were, along with Sweden, the only EU15 member states to grant full labour market access from the outset to citizens of the eight Central and Eastern European countries (the so-called EU8) that joined the European Union in May 2004. Both Ireland and the United Kingdom subsequently experienced a substantial inflow of migrant workers, many of whom took up relatively low-paid jobs in the agricultural, construction, hospitality and manufacturing sectors. However, as the number of migrants increased, so too did reports of ill-treatment of migrant workers by employers and employment agencies. Trade unions openly supported the decision to grant workers from the new EU member states the freedom to work in the United Kingdom and Ireland and have since been active in calling for improved rights for migrant workers and more effective enforcement mechanisms. Many unions have also made considerable efforts to support, recruit and organise migrant workers. These efforts have reflected traditional concerns relating to the representation and protection of workers, including a concern that employers should not use migrant workers in ways that result in the pay, conditions and employment opportunities of ‘native’ workers being undermined.
