Migration and Trade Union Responses:Analysis of the UK in a Comparative Perspective

目前的经济危机、随之而来的失业率上升和许多西欧国家福利资源的限制，正在导致相当一部分欧盟公民的工作和生活条件恶化。越来越多的低技能移民涌入这些国家，被认为是对东道国社会的一种“威胁”。国家工人和移徙工人之间的冲突和分歧日益明显，不仅在劳工领域，而且在更广泛的社会领域。针对少数族裔的歧视情绪和暴力事件正在蔓延。申请人认为，社会行为者对东道国移徙和就业之间相互作用的反应将对塑造欧洲社会结构的未来具有重要意义。在这些行为者中，工会发挥重要作用，不仅是因为移民主要与劳工有关，而且还因为劳工领域在个人和集体层面上都发生了许多冲突。该项目旨在分析工会对移民、移民政策和广泛的移徙工人的反应，并了解工会在移民的经济和社会融合中(实际和潜在)的作用。此外，它还侧重于工会在调解国家工人和移徙工人之间的利益冲突方面的作用。这项研究通过考察受最近移民(英国)影响特别大的国家背景，并在申请人在博士研究中对意大利和荷兰进行的先前比较研究的基础上，发展了一种比较的国际视角。比较的目的是：(A)突出三国工会在正式辩论、行动和结果方面与纳入移徙工人有关的差异；(B)为观察到的差异指出解释变量和机制。分析涉及三个主要方面：1)影响工会对劳工移民、移民政策和移徙工人本身立场的因素--将特别注意分析欧洲有关移民和劳动力自由流动的政策对国家工会反应的影响；2)工会态度对移民政策和移徙工人的影响；3)工会与移徙工人互动的动力和方法。由于处于移徙研究和就业关系的交汇点，这项研究将有助于以下领域的学术辩论：a)移徙研究(在当前经济衰退和社会敌意增加的背景下，移民融入欧洲东道国)；b)比较就业关系(振兴研究和各种资本主义方法)；c)劳动力和劳动力市场社会学研究(分析劳动力市场动态，从增加灵活性和移徙的角度分析)；d)移徙政策的欧洲化辩论。此外，通过将重点放在社会凝聚力、将移徙者纳入劳动力市场和收容社会，这项研究有可能处理敏感的社会问题，并突出最佳做法和对策。通过传播学术领域内外的研究成果，并促进与潜在受益者和用户的对话，这项研究旨在产生具体的行动建议。

The current economic crisis, the consequent rise of unemployment and the limitation of welfare resources in many Western European countries is resulting in the worsening of working and living conditions of a significant part of the EU citizenship. The raise of low-skilled immigration towards such countries is increasingly perceived as a 'threat' for the host societies. Conflicts and differences between national and migrant workers are becoming increasingly manifest, not only in the labour arena but also in the wider society. Discriminatory sentiments and episodes of violence concerning ethnic minorities are spreading. In the applicant's view, the responses of the social actors to the interplay between migration and employment in the host countries will be important in shaping the future of Europe's social fabric. Among such actors, trade unions play an important role not only because immigration is primarily linked to labour but also because many conflicts occur in the labour arena both at the individual and collective level. This project aims at analysing trade union responses to immigration, immigration policies and a broad range of migrant workers, and at understanding the trade unions' (actual and potential) role in the economic and social integration of immigrants. Furthermore, it focuses on the trade union's role in mediating conflicting interests between national and migrant workers. The research develops a comparative international perspective by looking at a national context particularly affected by recent immigration (UK) and expanding on a previous comparative study on Italy and the Netherlands carried out by the applicant in her doctoral research. The aim of the comparison is a) to highlight differences in trade unions' formal debates, actions and outcomes related to the inclusion of migrant workers across the three countries and b) to point out explanatory variables and mechanisms for observed differences. The analysis addresses three main aspects: 1) factors that influence union stances towards labour immigration, immigration policies and migrant workers themselves - particular attention will be devoted to analyse the influence of the European policies related to immigration and free movement of labour on national trade unions responses; 2) the effects of union attitudes on immigration policies and migrant workers; and 3) the dynamics and methods of trade union interaction with migrant workers. Being situated at the intersection between migration studies and employment relations, this research will contribute to the scholarly debate in these fields: a) migration studies (the integration of migrants in host European countries in the context of the current economic decline and increase of social hostility); b) comparative employment relations (revitalization studies and varieties of capitalism approaches); c) the sociology of labour and labour market studies (analysis of labour market dynamics in terms of increasing flexibilization and migration); d) the Europeanization of migration policies debate. Furthermore, by focusing on social cohesion, the inclusion of migrants in the labour market and host societies, this research has the potential to address sensitive social issues and to highlight best practices and responses. Through the dissemination of research findings - inside and beyond the academic sphere - and the promotion of dialogue with potential beneficiaries and users, this research aims at resulting in concrete proposals for action.