The accession migration into construction: a comparative analysis of trade union responses in Denmark, Norway and the UK

The mobility of labour and services across Europe in the wake of EU enlargement has exceeded predictions and expectations. Since the 2004 accession of Central and Eastern European countries (CEE), the UK alone has received more than 926,000 accession country registrations (Border and Immigration Agency 2008). The Nordic countries have also proved to be attractive destinations, with more than 200,000 work permits issued to CEE citizens for the same period. In all three countries, the construction sector is standing out as one of the industries recruiting Polish migrants with irregular forms of employment and bad working conditions being observed (Friberg & Tyldum 2007, Hansen & Andersen 2008, Fitzgerald 2006). The accession of new 'low-wage’ CEE member states to the old 'high-wage' EU has stirred intense debates on implications for wage and working conditions, and national labour market regimes (Krings 2009).