Calls to restrict new EU workers

RESTRICTIONS must be placed on Romanians and Bulgarians entering the Irish labour market when they join the EU next year, one of Ireland’s leading trade unionists warned yesterday.

Speaking at SIPTU’s annual conference in Dublin yesterday, its president Jack O’Connor insisted Ireland must not fully open its doors to both countries until full protection measures are in place for workers.

“For that reason we must insist that open border status is not extended to Romania or Bulgaria until all these measures are implemented and seen to be effective,” he said.

In a Eurobarometer poll in May, 7% of Irish questioned said they associated the EU with “lots of foreign workers” and see this as a negative. This was more than double the EU average of 3%.

Romania and Bulgaria have a combined population of 30 million.

SIPTU’s comments come after the Economic and Social Research Institute this month urged the Government not to adopt an ‘open door’ policy to immigrants from both countries.

Speaking in Europe yesterday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he favoured some restriction of labour market access to workers from Bulgaria and Romania.

While the Government had to make a final decision, he believed the current system of allowing Bulgarian and Romanian workers in on a work permit will continue.

“We are not under pressure to go further,” he said.

Ireland was one of just three countries which gave full access to workers from the ten countries that joined the EU in May 2004.

“I would be prepared to look at Romania and Bulgaria when the others have opened up to the 10 as we did,” he said.

So far just three countries, Finland, Slovenia and Sweden have said they will give free access to workers from the two countries.

Member states can exclude them for up to five years if they can show it would destabilise labour markets.

Mr O’Connor also told SIPTU delegates there was a need to intensify trade union campaigns while mobilising workers over the coming months.

It recent years, events had forced unions to up the battle for workers’ rights. Events had included the GAMA construction scandal, Irish Ferries using migrant workers, as well as Ryanair’s recent bid for the recently floated state airline, Aer Lingus, he added.

Criticism was also pointed at the state’s handling of Eircom.