Abstract
In 2004 the EU expanded by taking on 10 new member countries, 8 of which were from the former Eastern Bloc. This meant that workers from countries with completely diffe- rent traditions of how to attain and maintain influence concerning their working conditions – and with pay several times lower than in Denmark – gained access to the Danish la- bour market. This transnational encounter is a significant expression of a Europe of the 21st century, where the borders are open to the mobility of not just capital and commodi- ties, but also to services and labour power. The protectionism of national labour mar- kets which prevailed throughout the Keynesi- an politics of much of the 20th century is, un- der the prevailing economic regime, replaced by cross-border activities that should pro- mote competition in the neo-liberal spirit. Parallel with this the labour organizations still have difficulty in maintaining influence on the development and responding to the on- going challenge from foreign workers and ser- vice providers. On the basis of an on-going research project of the current migration of Polish labour to Denmark (in the wake of the EU`s eastern expansion) there is a pres- entation, discussion and examination of how ́Polishness` comes into play in the meeting between bosses and workers, trade unions and employer organisations. In addition, there is a consideration of the difficult issues of iden- tity and self-awareness which are often raised in the general discussions on the lack of sup- port for the trade unions and the failure to understand the Danish labour market system.
| Original language | Danish |
|---|---|
| Journal | Arbejderhistorie : tidsskrift for historie, kultur og politik |
| Volume | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 44-60 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| ISSN | 0107-8461 |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
Keywords
- Faculty of Humanities