Organising hyper-mobile transnational construction workers

Construction is an industry characterised by highly fragmented labour relations which are the result of long and complex subcontracting chains as well as of the use of agency workers, self-employment and transient employment. Free movement of labour within the EU, especially after the enlargement to Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, has led to an increase in the number of labour migrants moving either individually or through a posting contract from CEE countries to EU15 states.

This Policy Brief outlines the main strategies employed by trade unions to organise migrant workers, with a particular focus on hyper-mobile posted workers. The Policy Brief is based on empirical qualitative data collected within the framework of two research projects in Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.