Sustainable and socially just transnational sectoral labour markets

Industrial relations and labour market adjustment to the rise in temporary labour migration

JUSTMIG

PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR

Sonila Danaj

PROJECT TEAM AT THE EUROPEAN CENTRE

Elif Naz Kayran, Selma Kadi, Eszter Zólyomi, Judith Schreiber, Sandra Scharf

EXTERNAL PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR

Tibor Meszmann, CELSI

PROJECT PARTNERS

CELSI - Central European Labour Studies Institute (Slovakia)

CREDI - Center for Development Evaluation and Social Science Research (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

De Burcht - The Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement, Foundation de Burcht (The Netherlands)

Peace Institute - Institute for Contemporary Social and Political Studies (Slovenia)

Uni of Belgrade - University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics (Serbia)

JYU - University of Jyväskylä (Finland)

UTARTU - University of Tartu (Estonia)

BACKGROUND

In recent years, especially in some economic sectors, a pattern of permanent reliance on temporary employment of migrant workers has grown in significance across the EU. In most EU Member States, industrial relation structures and social partners struggle with problems of declining regulatory influence and deteriorating organisational capacities. Additionally, they find it extremely challenging to regulate sectoral labour markets where precarity and transnationalised vulnerability have been growing. The JUSTMIG project combines innovative research and data collection on labour market dynamics in both service and manufacturing sub-sectors across 6 EU Member States where fixed-term contracting of migrant workers occurs, and 3 candidate countries as source countries for workers. Starting from the development and application of innovative participatory methodology, the project addresses and involves social partners and labour market institutions throughout the project. Activities are designed evenly so as to exert short/medium and long term impacts on experts and social partners as well as migrant and local workers themselves. The project’s impacts range from strengthening social partner capacities to supporting policies for just and sustainable labour market outcomes.

AIMS

The general objective of the JUSTMIG project is to provide innovative analysis and data collection on new labour market dynamics, and how industrial relations structures are adjusting to the increased presence of temporary migrant workers from other EU countries and candidate countries. The specific objectives of the project include:

Collect data and information on evolution of industrial relations systems across 2 sectors in 6 EU Member States and 3 Candidate Countries related to temporary employment of migrant workers.
Deepen the analysis on temporary labour migration and its relationship with changes in industrial relation structures.
Develop innovate scientific knowledge and expertise in the field of industrial relations, labour migration.
Strengthen expertise, know-how and organisational capacities, of social partners and other key stakeholders on temporary migrant work.
Exchange of information and experience among the parties actively involved in industrial relations, with the aim of contributing to developing and reinforcing industrial relations structures in Europe.
Strengthen national and transnational cooperation among experts, social partners and relevant stakeholders.
Promote awareness of effective industrial relations practices, at both national and European level / bring together experts, social partners, experts.
Enhance the collection and use of (comparative) information on industrial relations systems in EU Member States and Candidate Countries and on developments at European level.

METHODS

Case study research

Desk research

Statistical data collection on temporary labour migrants in two sectors in 6 EU

countries and 3 accession countries

Interviews with relevant stakeholders, social partners, and temporary migrant workers

Participatory research

National workshops

Transnational workshops

ACTIVITIES/MILESTONES

Guideline for interviews with social partners

and data collection

Semi-structured interview questionnaire with social partners

Nine background reports

Nine policy briefs

Social media campaign posts

Nine national workshops

Three transnational workshops

Final Conference

The studies for an edited volume and special issue

The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research supports the Sustainable Development Goals

FUNDED BY

European Commission, DG Employment, European Social Fund+ (ESF+), Social Prerogatives and Specific Competencies Lines (SocPL)

PROJECT DURATION

11/2023 – 10/2025