European and International Labour Movements: Two Sides of the Same Coin.Labour Mobility and Migration in a Context of Austerity in Europe

Austerity and the labour market restructuring in Europe have intensified inequalities and injustices in society. The deterioration of working conditions, the rise in income inequality and the weakening of trade unions in Europe have also caused a rise of inequalities among workers on international level. The measures to protect the value of labour and the established trade union rights in Europe has created the image that the interests of European workers are different than the interests of non-European workers, especially migrant workers. Flexibilization and precarization of labour are touching severely on migrant workers in Europe having both residential, legal and work-related, social problems. This paper studies broader alliances between trade unions and social movements in Europe engaged mainly on the violation of trade union and social rights and work-related issues but also about non-work related issues concerning migrant workers in Europe. Theories on international aspects of collective action and the construction of relations between transnational actors will present the framework of this analysis. Throughout a research based on the analysis of the press, official declarations and publications of trade unions, it will examine common platforms, campaigns and actions of trade unions in different countries and the campaigns of the ETUC on labour mobility and migration. It will point our two main aspects. Firstly, it will explain briefly the consequences of austerity on the working conditions, income equality, labour mobility and migration in Europe. Secondly, it will analyse trade union activities and alliances in different national contexts and on European level. Thus, this aims to point out the importance of discussing together the questions of austerity, migration and broader alliances in labour protests. It aims to introduce an international aspect to the study of the consequences of austerity on the European labour market, European labour movements and trade union rights.