Sweden - New rules abused to exploit migrant workers - November 23, 2010

According to a report in the Dagens Nyheter (DN) daily, Swedish companies are exploiting labour migration legislation, with work permits on the black market being sold for amounts up to SEK 30,000 (€ 3,270) and either non-existent or poorly paid jobs offered in return. The Hotel & Restaurant Workers Union (Hotell och Restaurang Facket, HRF) has confirmed these practices and argues that an under-class labour force is being created in Sweden, with low pay and non-existent job security. HRF as well as the main union confederations LO and TCO blame the new law on labour migration that has eased the immigration of foreign workers. Yet, Minister for Migration Tobias Billström, after meeting the labour market parties involved, denied that unscrupulous companies are abusing the new rules, and insisted that he will not change the law. According to the minister, it is the enforcement of the law that is important.

English: http://www.thelocal.se/30042/20101105; http://www.thelocal.se/30388/20101123/; http://www.thelocal.se/30116/20101109/

This article was published in the Collective Bargaining Newsletter. It aims to facilitate information exchange between trade unions and to support the work of ETUC's collective bargaining committee. For more information, please contact the editor Maarten van Klaveren, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) M.vanKlaveren@uva.nl. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2010.