1. Danish EU immigration How does unions and employers react and what does it mean for policy.
2. The background EU countries have severe restrictions on immigration rules because of the right of movement of labor Enlargement meant greater income divide in the EU, so old member states were granted a time out of the movement of labour In 2009 that was removed.
4. Unions reactions continued Main strategies Forced to focus on the competetiveness of member as more industries face outside pressure Trying to decrease the wage advantage of eastern europeans
5. Ways of increasings costs Health and safety Unions try to tell their foreign colleagues about their rights so that they will demand more (and drive up costs) with initiatives like http://www.safein.dk/eng The lobby to increase standards Lockouts Increase administrative burdens (insurance, reporting)
6. Employers reaction Using EU rules as a bargaining chip with local labour, in commong agreement negotiations Especially relevant for agriculture, construction, transport.
7. Policy Goal Increasing employment by making domestic labor attractive, while giving companies access to some foreign labor when there are to few locals.
8. Suggestions Increase marginal productivity of locals using education Using institutional access to guide use of foreign workers (DA fasttrack) Tax breaks for capital investments that increases skilled labor employment Doing nothing has its theoretical, if not political, merits.
