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Intra-European labour migration and deteriorating employment relations in Danish cleaning and agriculture: Industrial relations under pressure from EU8/2 labour inflows?

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  • Bjarke Refslund

Abstract

Eastern and Central European labour migration following the EU enlargement has significant impact on the Nordic labour markets. This article demonstrates, through sector-based case studies in Denmark, how labour migration influences working condition and wages in two sectors that have so far only been sparsely studied: the agriculture and cleaning industries. The high inflow of labour migrants is used by some employers to bypass and undermine the institutionalized class compromise, by employing EU8/2-workers at lower wages and often without collective agreements coverage frequently combined with below average working conditions. This put strains on the Danish agreement-based model of industrial relations, potentially leading to a more segmented labour market as well as replacement of native, mainly low-skilled workers with EU8/2-workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Bjarke Refslund, 2016. "Intra-European labour migration and deteriorating employment relations in Danish cleaning and agriculture: Industrial relations under pressure from EU8/2 labour inflows?," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 37(4), pages 597-621, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:37:y:2016:i:4:p:597-621
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X14550421
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    References listed on IDEAS

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