The Times January 17, 2006
Polish plumbers split EU as trickle turns into flood
By Anthony Browne in Brussels
FRESH divisions are opening in the European Union over allowing plumbers and other workers from the new member states of Eastern Europe the right to work in the West.
A two-year ban on Eastern workers imposed by 12 of the 15 old member states on May 1, 2004 is coming up for review, provoking tensions between the old and new member states.
Britain, Ireland and Sweden — the three countries which gave Eastern Europeans the right to work following enlargement — are being held up by the European Commission as proof of the benefits of abolishing the ban.
Most member states, including Germany, France and Austria, are insisting that the restrictions must stay. EU countries are allowed to keep the restrictions until 2011 but they must be periodically reviewed to see if they are still necessary.
The Commission will produce its analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of opening up the West’s labour markets on February 7 but there were angry exchanges at a preliminary meeting of Commissioners to discuss the report last week.
Vladimir Spidla, the Czech Commissioner for Social Affairs responsible for the report, insists that the old member states must open up their borders. Benito Ferrero-Waldner, the Austrian Commissioner for External Affairs, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, is leading the camp that wants to keep the controls lest a flood of cheap labour destroys existing jobs. One EU official declared: “Blood was spilled.”
Mr Spidla’s spokeswoman said: “Member states that have opened up have benefited greatly. There is no doubt about it. The UK, Sweden and Ireland confirm it — jobs haven’t been taken away.”
In Britain the arrival of Eastern European workers has been widely seen as a success, providing armies of construction workers and nannies, and beating labour shortages from dentists to bus drivers. With Britain and Ireland restricting access to the welfare system, there have been very few claims for benefits.
The Bank of England has credited the Eastern Europeans with keeping down wage inflation, a mixed blessing for native workers. Most economists believe that they have helped to fuel economic growth, although some believe they could be responsible for the rise in unemployment.
Most other West European countries have admitted only a handful of Eastern European workers. France has given just 875 work permits to Polish workers, while Greece has given 580. Nearly 500,000 Eastern Europeans already lived and worked in Germany but the number has hardly changed since enlargement.
Opponents of open borders are likely to argue that countries that did not impose restrictions had a far higher influx than predicted. The British Government predicted only 5,000 to 13,000 Eastern Europeans would come, but 175,000 came in the first year alone. Ireland had 85,000 workers from Eastern Europe in the first year.
Countries with strong economies such as Britain and Ireland have been not been disturbed by the new workers but many EU countries have high unemployment, making the issue far more controversial. Fears of the “Polish plumber” boosted the “no” vote in last year’s French referendum on the EU constitution.
timesonline.co.uk
Polish plumbers split EU as trickle turns into flood
By Anthony Browne in Brussels
FRESH divisions are opening in the European Union over allowing plumbers and other workers from the new member states of Eastern Europe the right to work in the West.
A two-year ban on Eastern workers imposed by 12 of the 15 old member states on May 1, 2004 is coming up for review, provoking tensions between the old and new member states.
Britain, Ireland and Sweden — the three countries which gave Eastern Europeans the right to work following enlargement — are being held up by the European Commission as proof of the benefits of abolishing the ban.
Most member states, including Germany, France and Austria, are insisting that the restrictions must stay. EU countries are allowed to keep the restrictions until 2011 but they must be periodically reviewed to see if they are still necessary.
The Commission will produce its analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of opening up the West’s labour markets on February 7 but there were angry exchanges at a preliminary meeting of Commissioners to discuss the report last week.
Vladimir Spidla, the Czech Commissioner for Social Affairs responsible for the report, insists that the old member states must open up their borders. Benito Ferrero-Waldner, the Austrian Commissioner for External Affairs, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, is leading the camp that wants to keep the controls lest a flood of cheap labour destroys existing jobs. One EU official declared: “Blood was spilled.”
Mr Spidla’s spokeswoman said: “Member states that have opened up have benefited greatly. There is no doubt about it. The UK, Sweden and Ireland confirm it — jobs haven’t been taken away.”
In Britain the arrival of Eastern European workers has been widely seen as a success, providing armies of construction workers and nannies, and beating labour shortages from dentists to bus drivers. With Britain and Ireland restricting access to the welfare system, there have been very few claims for benefits.
The Bank of England has credited the Eastern Europeans with keeping down wage inflation, a mixed blessing for native workers. Most economists believe that they have helped to fuel economic growth, although some believe they could be responsible for the rise in unemployment.
Most other West European countries have admitted only a handful of Eastern European workers. France has given just 875 work permits to Polish workers, while Greece has given 580. Nearly 500,000 Eastern Europeans already lived and worked in Germany but the number has hardly changed since enlargement.
Opponents of open borders are likely to argue that countries that did not impose restrictions had a far higher influx than predicted. The British Government predicted only 5,000 to 13,000 Eastern Europeans would come, but 175,000 came in the first year alone. Ireland had 85,000 workers from Eastern Europe in the first year.
Countries with strong economies such as Britain and Ireland have been not been disturbed by the new workers but many EU countries have high unemployment, making the issue far more controversial. Fears of the “Polish plumber” boosted the “no” vote in last year’s French referendum on the EU constitution.
timesonline.co.uk