New migrants’ situation of uncertainty is one of maximum risk and minimum ‘voice’. Our review of the construction sector in the flexible labour markets of Spain and the UK illustrates that the exacerbation of mobility and flexibility is realizing something feared by UK migration experts: the ‘risk that a constantly self-replacing stream of workers [from the new EU member states] could fall into the role of a semi-exploited (if often compliant) “underclass” , with limited prospects for social mobility and integration’ (Sumption and Somerville, 2010: 29).
Such a situation may respond to European labour markets’ structural quest for more flexibility, but raises important issues of social sustainability. Our sector perspective has revealed convergence between the British and the Spanish models towards a similar use ‘hyperflexible’ migrant labour, which is very hard to organize for the trade unions. The more volatile Spanish construction sector exacerbates the problems, as is visible with H&S.
National differences in union structures have important consequences though. Stronger state-union relations in Spain result in more inclusive political action and servicing towards immigrants by Spanish unions. By contrast, the multicultural, pluralist nature of the UK labour market and public sphere result in British trade unions paying more attention to linguistic diversity and community organizing. In both cases, unions emerge as crucial bridges to avoid migrant segregation, rather than as barriers as some media distortion and some insider-outsider view of the labour market suggest. However, they still appear to be very unsteady bridges, not yet sure enough to resist the torrent of flexibility.
Funding
This research was funded by a research grant from the European Commission’s Framework Programme Seven (project: ‘Meeting the challenges of economic uncertainty and sustainability through employment, industrial relations, social and environmental policies in European countries’).
Note
1 The data are from the Labour Force Surveys, which notoriously underestimate the number of foreigners. The ratio of skilled-unskilled occupation is unlikely to be a wrong estimate however.
References
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Barnard C (2009) ‘British jobs for British workers’: The Lindsey Oil Refinery dispute and the future of local labour clauses in an integrated EU market. Industrial Law Journal 38(3): 245-277.