Journal of Common Market Studies
Volume 54, Issue 2, 2016, Pages 408-425

Degrees of Inclusion: Free Movement of Labour and the Unionization of Migrant Workers in the European Union (Article)

Thomas A.*
  • a Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, Luxembourg

Abstract

This article discusses the shifting boundaries of inclusion and exclusion of migrant workers in trade unions. Drawing on the example of Luxembourg, an EU Member State with a long history of international migrations, the article examines the relationship between free movement of labour and the unionization of migrant workers before analysing the degree to which migrant workers' access to social rights is accompanied by their access to effective decision-making rights in trade unions. Trade unions have used European regulations on the free movement of labour as a legal infrastructure to develop services for migrant workers. At the same time, the free movement of labour and equality of treatment have come to permeate trade union strategies and rhetoric. However, with regard to the inclusion of migrant workers in decision-making processes and access to leadership positions, numerous obstacles to effective participation by migrant workers persist. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Author Keywords

Migration industrial relations citizenship Europe trade unions Europeanization

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84956784742&doi=10.1111%2fjcms.12284&partnerID=40&md5=b4099af031134b7e5cc57775fb027cec

DOI: 10.1111/jcms.12284
ISSN: 00219886
Cited by: 5
Original Language: English