Discover the latest ETUI publication: Moving under the radar - Ongoing challenges for short-term intra-EU mobility

[Celerity]

While Europe faces significant labour shortages in key sectors of the economy, intra-EU mobility could be a solution. This is revealed in a new ETUI book Moving under the radar – Ongoing challenges for short-term intra-EU mobility along with the absence of reliable and consistent data on the movements of the workers.

The precarious conditions often imposed on seasonal and posted workers in sectors such as agriculture, the meat processing industry, construction, and tourism are denying the European Union access to a valuable resource that could help address – at least partly – its unprecedented labour shortages. However, this will only be the case where the working conditions of mobile and temporary workers are regulated more effectively. Indeed, among numerous other challenges, these seasonal or posted European workers face lower wages and often worse working conditions than local workers, even though they are legally entitled to the same protections.

Exploited grey areas

The lack of data on short-term intra-EU mobility makes it hard to measure and illustrate the extent of the challenges that are faced by these workers. This is one of the key findings of Moving under the radar – Ongoing challenges for short-term intra-EU mobility. ‘This gap makes it difficult to develop appropriate public policies and it is hindering the effective management of intra-EU mobility flows’, explain Mehtap Akgüç and Wouter Zwysen, co-editors of the book and senior researchers at ETUI. Without clear data, EU countries are missing a crucial opportunity to improve regulation and protect this mobile workforce while addressing current labour shortages. This lack of enforcement is fostering grey areas where workers can be exploited, particularly by employers who take advantage of limited oversight and the precariousness of their status. This situation is all the more concerning as these workers, who should be benefiting from all the protections provided by the free movement of EU citizens, often find themselves in precarious and underpaid working conditions.

A fair right for all

In a context where debates on immigration are often polarised, it is even more urgent that these European workers benefit fully from their rights. Freedom of movement should not be a privilege reserved for a mobile elite, but a right accessible to all European workers, whether seasonal, posted or temporary.

Read the book Moving under the radar – Ongoing challenges for short-term intra-EU mobility

https://www.etui.org/publications/moving-under-radar

Join the launch book on 10th March

https://www.etui.org/events/moving-under-radar-ongoing-challenges-short-term-intra-eu-mobility

and register to this ETUI hybrid conference

https://crm.etui.org/form/short-term-intra-eu-mobility-10

https://www.etui.org/publications/moving-under-radar