Some French and German newspapers came out at the beginning of last week with headlines, the general meaning of which can be expressed as: "The Poles are coming!". This is related to the decision made by the economics ministers of the European Union countries in Brussels – to open the European labor market for workers from the new EU countries.
After long, almost two-year debates, the European Union countries, it seems, have nevertheless come to a difficult decision: the states of Western Europe are opening the gates to workers from the European East. This was announced in Brussels by a conference of twenty-five economics ministers of the European Union countries. The previously reached compromise was approved by trade union leaders and the European Parliament.
Two years ago, when the so-called "European Big Bang" occurred and as many as 10 new countries joined the EU, the absolute majority of Old Europe states decided that the "new relatives" from the East would not receive the right to be hired and work on their territory for 7 years. This was done out of fear that cheap labor would flood local labor markets and lead to a gigantic surge in unemployment among local workers. The exceptions then were only Great Britain and Ireland – they completely opened their territory to newcomers and turned out to be right: they have not experienced any negative consequences so far.
Leaders of the eastern EU countries, offended by the decision on the labor moratorium, spent two years seeking its complete abolition, pointing out that citizens of their states do not want to feel like "second-class Europeans". But their opponents kept postponing the final decision, with the leaders of France and Germany acting as the main opponents of "opening the borders" under pressure from their own trade unions.
According to the decision made in Brussels, citizens of the new EU countries receive the full right to be hired by employers in the countries of Old Europe, without waiting for the expiry of the notorious seven-year moratorium. However, they can work only in strict compliance with the conditions that exist in these countries. This means – no dumping wages, no increases in the working day for the same money, and no socially unprotected workers. That is, in essence, the document that takes effect from 2009 fully equalizes migrant workers with local ones – and therefore, German employers, for example, will not be tempted to hire ten Polish builders for the money that one German builder usually earns. Interestingly, the British and the Irish have been using this system for the past two years, while everyone else has only now come to it. However, as Europeans believe, better late than never.
Thus, the European ministers achieved what seemed impossible: the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe. Western employers will not be able to chase cheapness, and the labor markets of their countries will not be threatened by a "great migration of peoples". However, there is no doubt about one thing: potential new employees of various "old European" firms from Eastern European countries will gladly agree to work on equal terms with their Western colleagues. Another question is – will they want to accept them?