TUAC - TRADE UNION ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE OECD

29/10/2007

In the context of the OECD Labour/Management Programme, a meeting of trade union experts was held on 17 October 2007 at OECD Headquarters. Under the auspices of the OECD LMP programme, the meeting examined past and current migration flows, its key drivers, its impact on sending and receiving countries, in particular upon labour markets and national systems of industrial relations in receiving countries. Moreover, the challenges as well as future perspectives of migration policies were discussed. The meeting aimed to increase awareness of the challenges and opportunities migration represents for OECD economies and raised some of the issues of greatest concern to labour unions. It provided a helpful forum for discussion on labour union perspectives of issues related to migration. A summary of the meeting report will be made available shortly. Below are links to some of the presentations which were delivered at the meeting:

• Recent developments in migration movements and policies. An overview by J. P. Garson, OECD
• Economic and labour market impact of migration in OECD countries. Presentation by Orsetta Causa, OECD Her presentation summarized the key findings of a recent OECD working paper on “MIGRATION IN OECD COUNTRIES: LABOUR MARKET IMPACT AND INTEGRATION ISSUES”
• Migration – a tool to promote sustainable development and decent work? A sending countries perspective; Jeff Dayton-Johnson, OECD Development Centre
• Migration, labour markets and industrial relations - the role of employers and trade unions. The introductory remarks for the session by Dr. Martin Ruhs, COMPAS, Oxford University, focusing on “The employment of migrants: the economic and politics of labour shortages”, were based on a recent Compas research paper on “Are you being served? Employer demand for migrant labour in the UK 's hospitality sector”
  Mr Ruhs also referred to a trade-off between the number and rights of low-skilled migrants in high-income countries, which has been examined by another Compas paper on “Numbers vs. Rights: Trade-offs and guest worker programmes”
• An overview on migration trends in Italy and on challenges faced by trade unions due to migration was presented by Guglielmo Loy, UIL Confederal Secretary.

Here are some links to background documents and websites providing additional information on migration:

Concil of Global Unions Statement to the Global Forum on Migration, Brussels, Julyb 2007 on SOCIAL DIALOGUE AND A RIGHTS-BASED FRAMEWORK – AT THE HEART OF MIGRATION POLICY

The OECD website on “International Migration Policies” offers access to migration statistics and policy papers addressing migration issues.

There is also an ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration. It outlines non-binding principles and guidelines for a rights-based approach to labour migration. It was adopted by an ILO Tripartite Meeting of Experts (Geneva, 31 October-2 November 2005). In its 295th Session in March 2006, the Governing Body authorized the Director-General to publish the adopted text of the Framework.