May day: borders open to 73m workers

AN influx of migrants seeking jobs and benefits is expected from May as Ireland is one of only two EU countries to offer full work and welfare rights to citizens of the 10 new EU member States.

Ireland's minimum wage of €7 an hour represents a fortune in the majority of the 10 accession countries due to join the European Union in May.

The minimum wage is the third-highest in the EU after Luxembourg and The Netherlands, neither of whom have opened their borders to migrants.

Of the 15 existing EU members, only Ireland and Britain have indicated that they will allow the 73 million workers in the new member countries full freedom of movement, access to jobs and eligibility for welfare payments with effect from May 1.

The other 13 members have indicated that they will impose visa restrictions and quotas until up to 2011 the mandatory deadline for full integration.

A worker on minimum pay in Ireland would have monthly earnings of almost €1,100 that works out at five times the amount on offer to workers in Poland and Hungary, who earn just €201 and €212 per month, respectively, under their countries' minimum wage provisions. Ireland's wages are over twice those of Malta and Slovenia.

The stark difference in relative pay across an enlarged Europe is not only evident among minimum wage workers. Average annual earnings among all classes of workers in the accession countries lag far behind most of the existing 15 members.

In Poland, for example, annual earnings average out at €6,734, compared to about €28,000 in Ireland.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions said yesterday there was no reason for Irish workers to worry once migrant workers were offered the same pay and conditions so that all workers competed on equal terms and there was no incentive for employers to try to undercut local labour.

But spokesman Oliver Donohoe conceded the situation would have to be closely policed so that unscrupulous bosses don't employ cheap eastern European workers. "If an employer can fish in a pool and find a cheaper employee, that's what he will attempt to do but we will make sure that will not happen," said Mr Donohoe.

Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed General secretary Eric Conroy, however, was not confident that the situation could be adequately policed.

"Job losses could cut both ways with the expansion of the EU. Irish jobs could be going to eastern Europe we have seen signs of that already with the relocation of some jobs to Poland and people from eastern Europe will be able to come here for work," he said.

Tánaiste Mary Harney insists she will not allow the market to be swamped by migrant workers.