From boom to bust: Migrant labour and employers in the Irish construction sector

Abstract

This article analyses labour migration through a case study of migrants and employers in the Irish construction sector. It seeks to locate the choices of both sides of the employment relationship in a broader socioeconomic context that takes into account the regulatory environment and the labour market situation. The authors show how both sides of the employment relationship took advantage of Ireland's open labour market policy in 2004. As employers were keen to fill skill and labour shortages in a buoyant construction sector, migrants found employment with relative ease, often involving subcontracting arrangements and informal recruitment patterns. During the boom years the sector provided considerable opportunities for migrants at different skill levels. However, now that the sector has moved from 'boom to bust', the employment context has dramatically changed. In the light of large-scale job losses the bargaining position of employers has increased as migrants try to cope with deteriorating employment conditions.

Labour migrants from Central and Eastern Europe in the Nordic countries

“…The share of foreign workers at Kárahnjúkar steadily increased in the period, starting at 65% in the spring of 2003 and going up to 92% on estimate in July 2007 when the project was nearing its end. The recruitment of foreign workers was in line with practices in the booming construction industry that occurred in many European countries at the same time (Fellini et al, 2007;Krings et al 2011). Decisions to recruit foreign workers rather than indigenous ones is as Fellini et al, have pointed out usually guided by two main yet interconnected aims i.e.…”

“…The number of foreign migrant workers, increased by the day not least in the Reykjavik area. In line with the migratory flow to Western Europe at the time most of these workers were coming from the new member states in the EU, mostly Poland and the Baltic states (Fellini et al 2007;Krings et al 2011). Moreover, as had been the case in other countries such as Norway, the practice of social dumping amongst these new workers was a great concern (Alsos and Eldring 2008).…”

“…65 The economic boom generated an unprecedented need for workers which was met by international migrants many of whom came from Poland and other new member states in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The workers coming to Iceland were part of the great flow of workers streaming to the expanding economies in the West, such as the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, as well as to some of the other Nordic countries (Black et al 2010Dølvik & Eldring 2008Krings et al 2011). In Iceland however, the boom turned into a bust when the financial sector and the construction sector spun out of control causing severe ramifications not only for the national economy but Icelandic society as a whole (Benediktsdottir et al 2011).…”

Evaluation of The Atlantic Philanthropies Migration Programme

“…One was Ireland's decision in 2004 not to exercise its right under European law to delay access to its labour market by nationals from countries joining the European Union (EU), such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. This was at a time of rapid economic growth experienced in Ireland -the 'Celtic Tiger' -which increased demand for workers (Krings et al, 2011). There was also migration from outside of the EU through, for example, work permits issued to nurses from the Philippines.…”

Stepping up to strike: a union mobilization case study of Polish migrant workers in the Netherlands

“…Migrant workers tend to be over-represented in precarious forms of work and are likely to face conditions that undermine local labour standards (Wills et al 2010;Cremers 2011). While studies have described how different forms of crossborder precarious employment are shaped by changes in regulations and employment practices (Anderson 2010;Kalleberg 2009;Krings et al 2011;MacKenzie and Forde 2009), the discussion on the agency of migrants in these types of employment remains underdeveloped. In industrial relations literature, agency has been conceptualised primarily as workers' ability to act within organised and collective forms of resistance, focusing on the ability of trade unions to represent migrant workers' interests (Penninx and Roosblad 2000).…”