EPSU-CEMR Seminar in Berlin-27th of January 2016
(4 February 2016) Europe is facing difficult times in managing migration. The EU as a whole received 78% more asylum applications in 2014 compared to the year before. Municipalities are at the forefront of dealing with the daily arrivals of refugees in a number of European countries. Therefore, EPSU and Ver.di hosted a seminar on 27th of January to discuss migration and the impact on jobs and working conditions. 55 participants including municipal trade unions from EPSU and local authority employers from CEMR gathered for a one-day seminar in Berlin to identify the global and European challenges linked to migration, asylum and the current situation of refugees arriving in Europe.
Participants discussed the need for well-staffed public services to deal with the refugee crisis and:
- The current EU situation in relation to migration policies and what the potential effect on local and regional government are
- The role of local authorities in the management of migration
- The effects of austerity policies affecting migrants
- The integration of migrant workers into municipal workplaces
- The barriers to inter-mobility between public sectors in different countries
- The role of local authorities in integrating migrants into the local community
- The impact of austerity on working conditions in local administrations processing work and residency permits
- Local authority practices with refugees/asylum seekers
CEMR presented a survey on asylum seekers how registrations, shelters, services, finances are dealt with. EUROFOUND presented recent trends in migration and integration policies and emphasized the need for social cohesion, participation and inclusion that has to be driven by the local level. There is a shift in Europe towards more restrictive approaches both in terms of admission policies and integration policies. The lack of data on employees with migrant background to analyse barriers to integration and a low staff awareness regarding the value of a diverse workforce was mentioned. The European Commission presented the main financing instruments for migration and asylum policies what financial support there is to welcome and integrate migrants. Loveleen Brenna, a Norwegian writer shared her experience as an Indian integrating into Norwegian society and how language transforms our perception of migration. She emphasized the need to duly choose our daily language and opt for more inclusion than integration policies.
The impact of austerity on working conditions of local authorities
There is a gradual deterioriation of services and difficult working conditions and lack of adequate training and information for public sector workers in municipalities. The focus is on quantitative measurement of efficiency. And there are poorer relations with management and mistrust. A report commissioned to PSIRU (Jane Lethbridge) showed that there are poorer relations with management and mistrust and workers are feeling undermined and their skills undervalued. There are affected relationships between public sector workers and migrants
Local and community examples with regard to labour market integration in Europe
A joint presentation by the Swedish Local Authority SALAR and the Swedish trade unions Vision and Kommunal suggested to look at the so-called “fast-track” approach where the government seeks that newly arriving migrants find quickly a workplace that is relevant with the individual’s education, experience and interest.
UCLG, United Cities Local and Regional Government presented their city-to-city migration project, which will map migration and asylum in five cities of the Global North and the Global South. In Italy agreements have been done between stakeholders and civil organisations. The city of Barcelona is working with migrant organizations with links to communities where 3rd country nationals come from. In Norway, national integration policies include the role for local authorities. In Dublin, a city-wide integration framework for stakeholders to make integration central to policies and services. There are no separate migration services as they are integrated. In Greece there is a huge influx of migrants in small islands, presence of hot spots but not enough and not entirely established. Greece does its best to move right and fast as the President of the Greek Local Authority Association emphasized. Brussels has asked that these hot spots will have a capacity of 20000 people and then 50000 and now 100000, which is totally unrealistic under current budgetary constraints with finances missing at all levels in Greece. In parallel, in Greece there is a high rate of unemployment, the budgetary constraints, which hamper the efficiency of public action and the exercise of missions of public services and public interest from local and regional authorities. In Germany, the German Local Authority Association mentioned the additional need for 20.000 teachers and 20.000 policemen and 10.000 new job skill profile- migration managers. All agreed that more solidarity is needed between European Member States.
What needs to be on the agenda to work against the obstacles to labour market integration
- Provide guidance on concepts, terminology, legal obligations and good practice positive action, positive discriminiation, equality, diversity
- Review legal and procedural barriers to jobs
- Review recruitment methods
- Assess the work environment
- Consult migrants
- Procurement: build diversity objectives into contracts
- Staff Training
The natural role of Social Partners in local government and the community
Europe will need 66million migrants by 2020 to fill the demographic gaps. The Social Partners in Local Government agreed that there are no simple solutions but that the objectives are jointly shared. Both demographic and migration challenges could be solved at the same time. Social partners have a natural role to play as they link to social cohesion, economic growth and employment. The urgency of the situation was underlined by all participants, employers and unions and that the responsibility lies on all levels- social partners, local authorities, governments and EU institutions to prioritize migration and asylum on the political agenda. The need to sensitize local communities towards migration was emphasized and to look for new skills which migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers bring into the local community.
The Social Partners in Local and Regional Government agreed already back in 2014 to Joint Guidelines how to strengthen migration and fight anti-discrimination.
- MIGRATION & LOCAL AUTHORITIES – IMPACT ON JOBS AND WORKING CONDITIONS Jane Lethbridge, Director PSIRU, University of Greenwich, UK
- EPSU-CEMR Seminar_27012016 - Nathalie Noupadja
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