Country presentation on migrant workers EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS

Country presentation on migrant workers EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Topics 1. Overall situation for migrant workers in Germany 2. EMWU/IG BAU and migrant workers 3. Cooperations 4. Success story of organizing EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Overall situation for migrant workers • 8% of the german population are migrants (≈ 6, 4 million) • The net migration is at a historical very low lewel: each yaer 733. 000 people migrate from germany (155. 000 germans includet) and 721. 000 people migrate to germany (115. 000 germans included) • In generall: the reseaches on migrants are very unspecific: the specific dimension is the legal residence EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Overall situation for migrant workers Where do the migrants come from: • 71, 6 % = europeans • 14, 5 % = asians • 3, 8 % = africans • 8, 9 % = americans • Poland Romania are the origin countries with the highest migration rate: 17, 1% and 7, 8% EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Overall situation for migrant workers • Besides the millions of former migrants, which are more less integrated in german society, there also the migrant workers (official data from ministry for migration and refugees BMAF): • 16. 000 posted workes • 295. 000 seasonal workers and • 2. 400 IT-workers EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Overall situation for migrant workers • BMAF mentions also iregular migration between 500. 000 and 1 Million persons. But: beneath this official numbers, there is still the problem, that the real number of migrant workers is not documented. • F. e. : There must be hundred thousands of pseudo-self employt workers and undocumented workers living in Germany EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Overall situation for migrant workers • Focus on posted-workers and pseudo-self employed workers in construction sector: Posted Workers: • Minimal wages fraud (50% to 80%) = a generation of working poor is rising – the international mafia is developing EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Overall situation for migrant workers • Social insurance contribution fraud (workers aren‘t documented as posted workers in their homeland) = impoverished elderly • Financial fraud (same reason) = no money for social infrastructure and investigation in employment market EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Overall situation for migrant workers • Maximal and relative increasment in created added value by capital (surplus value) = bad or no employment protection Pseudo self-employed workers: • Almost the same situation as for the pw + no insurances = no legal access to medical support and EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Overall situation for migrant workers • „self-inflicted“ financial fraud = civil penalty and exclusion from the job market • Much more complicated to for them to win in an process, when they get not payed by their „employers“ (=human traffickers) EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Topics 1. Overall situation for migrant workers in Germany 2. EMWU/IG BAU and migrant workers 3. Cooperations 4. Success story of organizing EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

EMWU/IG BAU and migrant workers • Long tradition in organizing migrant workers (50‘es) • IG BAU foundet EMWU as part of a project of a european trade union for migrant workers • From 2004 on EMWU organized more the 2. 000 migrant workers EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

EMWU/IG BAU and migrant workers • From 2009 on EMWU got a new constitution, EMWU is now a lobby for migrant workers interessts/questions • Together with IG BAU we still organize migrant workers and help them out, when they got any kind of trouble (vage problems, accidents, human trafficking, etc. ) EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

EMWU/IG BAU and migrant workers • With the financial help of a foundation we execute an information program for migrant workers and supporter (shop councils) • We are also active in raising a bureau for free consultations together with the federation of german trade unions (DGB); part of an program finaced by the EU EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

EMWU/IG BAU and migrant workers What we still can improve/do: • We are to few speakers of forein languages • We as european trade unions need to work more closely together, for we have do deal with the same problems and creat new methods (inclunding a „new speech“) EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Topics 1. Overall situation for migrant workers in Germany 2. EMWU/IG BAU and migrant workers 3. Cooperations 4. Success story of organizing EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Cooperations • We cooperate with a lot of diffrent organisations and institutions: • DGB, European Trade Unions (FGS and other Wood and Buildner Unions), Social pesnion fund, catholik „justitia et pax“, German Institute for Human Rights, Criminal Police and Financial Guards (= Custom office) EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Topics 1. Overall situation for migrant workers in Germany 2. EMWU/IG BAU and migrant workers 3. Cooperations 4. Success story of organizing EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION

Success story of organizing • Example EXACT BAU 2007 • About 100 romanian workers, fought against more than four different general constructor and an local mobster, won the fight (got payed of) mobster went to prison, mass media pushed us alot in this case EUROPEAN MIGRANT WORKERS UNION