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08/07/2007
A report last week from the Dublin-based Eurofound thinktank said Europe’s migrant workers are more likely than non-migrants to suffer unhealthy conditions at work, to work longer hours, and to perform shift work, night work, and weekend work.
The report, which investigates the working and employment conditions of migrant workers who travel from one country to another for any reason and work as employees or self-employed people in the country of destination, also finds that migrants in Europe are segregated into low-paid jobs that offer limited opportunities for upward mobility. They are also more frequently exposed to discrimination in the workplace, by supervisors, colleagues, customers or patients.
In most countries, these workers tend to be segregated in unskilled occupations and are also more likely to perform undeclared work. Despite being a particularly vulnerable segment of the labour force, migrant workers are often poorly represented by trade unions, according to the report. They face higher unemployment rates and, when employed, are more likely to be overqualified for the job they do, representing a significant waste of human capital and considerable inequality. Moreover, they are exposed to considerable job insecurity.
Migrant workers’ poor working conditions can be linked to difficulties in obtaining a work permit, even in countries where there are labour supply shortages. They also face obstacles in acquiring citizenship and can thereby be excluded from access to such skilled occupations as public sector employment, the professions and business activity.
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