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MIGRATION CRISIS

EUROPE, SYRIA AND WORLDROLE TRADE UNION AND MIGRANT WORKERS DILEMMA?BY NICOLAS GIANNAKOPOULOS - 11/21/2015

Originally published in French from Switzerland at Sept.info - http://www.sept.info/club/crise-migratoire-un-nouveau-

role-syndical/

Global migration waves

Europe wakes up in full migration crisis. The publication of the lifeless body images of a

small Kurdish boy on the tourist beaches of Turkey, whose "picture silenced the world"

according to Le  Parisien, made the "one" of all European media and beyond. So we

expected a real "awareness" among European leaders. A "shock" that did not happen,

and did not forget an international reality that has accelerated since more than 10 years.

We cross indeed the biggest crisis-related population movements since World War

(Source: speech Dimitris Avramopoulos European Commissiaire Immigration, issued

August 14, 2015 and taken up by many media including the Huffington Post). This crisis

concerns Europe, of course, but also parts of the world such as the Middle East or the

Middle East, the US and Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. No region, even Eastern

Siberia is immune to these mass population movements that have two main causes:

war and poverty.

The war in Syria is one of the most important migratory homes today. Straddling

between Asia and Europe, Turkey, a pivotal country, now has more than 2 million

refugees, mostly from Syria. This is the largest refugee population in one conflict in a

generation (Source: Statement of July 9, 2015 by António Guterres, High Commissioner

of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), quoted in The Figaro). Lebanon also hosts more

than a million Syrian refugees and Jordan hosts more than one million, having hosted

several million Palestinian refugees decades ago, excluding Iraqi refugees fleeing war

and armed chaos ravaging this country.

In Asia, between 2010 and 2015, the European Union has allocated the sum of Eur 57.3

million (Source: European Union Humanitarian Aid Directorate General (ECHO)). for the

only region of Rakhine, Myanmar to help the Rohingya, a minority persecuted by the

local and national authorities. This while the UN estimates that some 25,000 Rohingyas

who sailed between January and March 2015 alone (Source: UNHCR, quoted by Le

Monde of 05.13.2015), and the neighboring countries, in a gesture of contempt and

disdain, divert the ships of refugees to other shores, condemning them to certain

death.Migration between the South East Asia is in the tens of millions of people. The

number of Chinese settling in Russian Siberia was multiplied by 10 in 5 years. All these

people are seeking security, labor and a future for themselves and their families. 

The Indian subcontinent is both source and target for many migrants who emigrate to

the Gulf countries, the States United States, Canada and England. India is also host to

massive population movements from neighboring countries at war or instability (Nepal,

Bangladesh) but also internal (rural exodus, extreme poverty).

Australia, which has for several years faced a wave of migrants from Indonesia, the

Philippines and neighboring countries, refer them to anyone who will accept them with

millions of dollars. Former Australian Prime Minister had even "give a lesson" to the

European Union touting its model described by the Guardian as "cruel".

In the US, the presidential campaign of 2016 was marked by violent diatribes against

the pretenders "Latino" and "Mexican immigrants". In it, Donald Trump stands for now

the upper hand, joined in his campaign by shouting his Republican challengers as they

are the main cause of Afghan and Iraqi immigration in the world following the armed

intervention in these countries.

In Africa, the various "Arab spring" more or less aborted blew dictatorial locks leading to

the Mediterranean Sea and then to Europe. The boats meet people dead sea and the

coasts of migrants "zombified" by months or even years of displacement.

Beyond the tragic aspects that these phenomena occur, the media, political and

academic leaders evoke nauseum a global problem. A correct observation, but

incomplete. Incomplete because it ignores the components that are the cause of these

movements, which are silent the main elements that could enable a long-term resolution

of the human suffering. 

The consequences of these migration flows also have an important impact on several

local plans, hence the preference of the term "glocal" to the term "global" conjunction of

the two spatial scales at a particular time.

Cultural, religious elements, political and economic, add a criminal component that is far

from being confined to the "smugglers" and that requires a deep reflection on the part of

every citizen of the host countries, including says countries "rich". As often, it is in

Europe that these issues crystallize quickly.

Europe is a "bazaar"

At the Council of Foreign Ministers of Saturday, September 5, 2015, voices denouncing

the situation of migrants is heard. Europe, as usual, proved divided and tensions

between countries of the East and West were flagrant.

Thus, the young Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sebastian Kurz, did not hesitate to

called "bazaar" (Source: RTS.ch, online edition of 5 September 2015) European

tergiversions on the subject.

In contrast, Hungary, when with it, pointed to Germany, which continues to present a

strategy of openness and chugging home. His foreign minister has denounced "a series

of irresponsible statements by some European political leaders." Peter Szijjrato, the

fault lies "to the migration policy of the European Union" (Source: ibid). The Hungarian

Prime Minister will not hear talk of quotas as "the flow is not dammed" (Source: Le Soir,

online edition of September 7, 2015).

Asked in an interview whether the border guards have the right to fire (!) On migrants

when trying to cross the border, the first populist minister said that "it would not be

necessary (Source : Le Figaro, online edition of September 7, 2015) "to the views of"

insurmountable "barrier. They will however "arrested".

As a reminder, Hungary stands a 3.5m high fence along its 175 kilometers of border

with Serbia and additions to its Romanian and Croatian borders. However, it remains

the main land route taken by migrants to reach Europe.

On September 3, 2015, during an official visit to Switzerland, German Chancellor

Angela Merkel announced an unprecedented agreement between France and Germany

on the "binding quotas" of refugees (Source: Le Monde, online edition of the September

3, 2015 ), a common position which will be submitted to the European institutions 14

September 2015.

His position has clearly bent over a line "hard" and curator of Germany which still

prevailed when the Chancellor remained embarrassed vis-à-vis a Palestinian refugee

(Source: Le Point, 16 online edition July 2015), weeping over his fate.

On 7 September 2015, Berlin announced an emergency plan of 6 billion euros, half to

be paid to the Länder, the rest for the federal government in order to overcome this

massive wave of migrants. Several media outlets, including La Tribune see it as a

strategy in several ways: First, it is suspected to react emotionally to the situation and to

follow the popular will at a time when his position became untenable.Then there would

be a maneuver to stand out from other European leaders and thus "set the tone" in

Europe. Finally, the Chancellor would improve its image and that of his country, much

criticized for his stubbornness about the Greek crisis. Finally, demographers perceive a

need for the supply of fresh blood, Germany being, as all European countries, older.

Berlin said vo uloir accommodate 800,000 migrants in 2015.

During his traditional press conference, Hollande said that "24,000 migrants" (Source:

Les Echos, online edition of September 7, 2015) could be hosted on French soil. 

For much of the French press, there including from left, the French president

"abdicated" to Germany. 

Obviously the situation has changed abruptly following the attacks that have bloodied

Paris.

For his part, David Cameron, following his counterparts, has changed its

position. British Prime Minister pledged 137 million euros in additional funding for the

Syrian crisis, raising the total amount of this aid to nearly 1.4 billion euros (Source: Le

Monde, online edition of the September 3, 2015) (the largest ever recorded in the UK)

while negotiations on the situation of migrants in Calais tramples between France and

Britain.

Without giving vis-à-vis figures of hosting a contingent of refugees in England, an

employee of the UNHCR estimated that "about 4,000 people over."

Cameron hopes that these people come from refugee centers under the auspices of the

UN in Turkey and Lebanon, in order to overcome "the risks of crossing the

Mediterranean."

While Hungary has made headlines in early September 2015 because of its

management at least strange to the influx of migrants mainly from Syria (and also in

Afghanistan, Kosovo and Albania) arrived on its soil through the "impenetrable wall"

erected on the border with Serbia, other countries in the East are no exception: Poland

declares not want quotas of migrants, Slovakia says it does that Christians welcome

migrants (Source: and Romania reinforces "preventive" monitoring its border with

Serbia to prevent the transit of such distant migrants plus Kosovar and Albanian

migrants escaped the corruption of their country.

This wave of migration puts the enlarged Europe and imperfectly integrated in its own

fears and brings back the ghosts of his past rather dark and bloody.

Migrants: a challenge for the European social model

Whether from the Middle East or Africa, current migrants, mainly Muslim, put European

companies in the challenge. It is not a challenge, but many challenges that have in

common the adaptability of our own models of society. Like it or not, this migratory wave

will change Europe, it will change our societies, our cities and villages. This has already

started and this has more or less direct impact on our models, our laws, our lives, our

work, our economies, our security and our culture. And obviously, this is just beginning.

The influx of migrants in a given territory always causes fear, rejection and sometimes

violence. This is especially true when the values and cultures of migrants are far from

those of the host populations.Italian migrants in the United States have suffered sharp

discrimination, even if they were not very different from the Anglo-Saxon power. Irish

migrants have suffered the same humiliation.Decolonization has accompanied both

France and England of population movements that will cause rejection and skepticism

among the local populations.

The current stigma around Islam and Muslims in Europe, fed by individual or group

causes bloody terrorist acts today an even stronger rejection and provides fertile ground

for political parties that capture this dissatisfaction and these fears and turn them into

electoral weight to capture their turn political debate. It is exactly the same in the US,

although it is not Islam, with Latino immigrants. 

The expression of these fears is the same in heart recovery by any movements or

parties for that these fears are their electoral goodwill: difference in culture until the

opposition endured by local costs, a threat to employment and a threat to democracy

attached to its historical codes. Historical references are also many, in one way or

another, but they do not provide satisfactory explanations or solutions. 

The extreme speech gives pride to the "common sense" and "wisdom". The most used

the term for decades, heard both right and the left, rebuke the theme of

Schwartzenbach initiative in Switzerland is "the boat is full." That finding shall be taken

in various forms, both right and left. Michel Rocard, then French Prime Minister himself

said that "we can not accommodate all the misery of the world." 

Today, European conservative hard and straight are heard loud and clear. For Le Pen,

migrants are "mostly economic refugees" (Source: interview with BFM TV, posted

August 28, 2015) and accused, as usual, the "laxity of Europe". Hungarian Prime

Minister Victor Orban's also accused, as well as Flemish and Dutch curators, all the ills

of the earth. Already up surveys since the advent of the financial crisis, many of these

are populist top the list of their parties in the next elections. To take the French

example, a recent poll showed for the first time the victory of the National Front facing

François Hollande in the first round of presidential elections in 2017 (Source: Le

Parisien, online edition of September 6, 2015, according to an Ifop poll for RTL and Le

Figaro).

At the same time, the reality is quite different. What happens and that everyone can see

for himself, that's simple walking human aspirations: to create a future, have a job, to

establish and / or feed his family and live in peace. The insupportabilité of extreme

situations of extreme poverty or stigma because of his skin color, religion or origin is

going to swing a fringe minority of individuals in radicalization, as well as far-left

movements or right will drop some of their members in terrorism during the '70 and '80

in Europe and the United States.

Profound social mechanisms are at work in migrant populations. Cultural or national

groups and to further strengthen when there stygmatisation. The rejection of established

institutions will strengthen parallel normativities, whose winners will be criminal

networks. 

Already in the 19th century, Latin and Italian immigration to the United States will lead

what will be called in the 60s the "political machines "namely the organization of the

electoral weight of migrants in a political mechanism that will benefit its organizers,

many of which are only mafia bosses.

One of the unanimous answers, if not the only European Union on the issue of migrants

is "the fight against the smugglers," organized as true mafias. This is unfortunately a

beginning idea, since the facts découlants global successive immigrations in Europe

have shown that ethnically based criminal organizations take advantage of the

weaknesses of the members of their communities to organize operations: illegal

employment and prostitution are the two main sources of income of these structures,

one foot in illegality and another in the legalities gradually become the real gravediggers

of the European economic model based on a set of rights and duties of the individual vis

in relation to the institution.

For a migrant, refugee or not, the main concern is to support herself. Like everyone else

for that matter.Unable to find work legally, they turn to unscrupulous actors, scenting a

bargain, do not hesitate to exploit the sometimes shameless as private rights, they can

not defend themselves using legal channels.In addition, their documents are either

confiscated or non-existent, their interactions with the local population are minimized

and the language is often a barrier, especially as the very limited understanding of the

institutions that govern our living together.

Impact of legal and illegal migrants in the labor market and the economy

Thus, the real danger of migration comes from the integration of these individuals flow

in a sometimes already saturated job market and production. The lack of rights of these

workers, coupled with a rigid set regulatory and rare controls allows companies to lower

their production costs by employing individuals who are not paid properly, do not enjoy

any social protection and "take the place" of the premises who "play by the rules." The

result is a destructuration regulations in place that neither the local nor the migrants do

not respect, first because they line on prices in general and save where else do, and the

latter because " they have no rights.

The level of background study of this phenomenon is distressing. For some

researchers, for some migrants, said the work "black", "acts like a social assistance"

(Source: Huffington Post online edition of July 30, 2015), report several people opening

in the middle of the reception of migrants . 

academics also denounce From a certain hypocrisy, claiming that "among the migrants

arrived in makeshift boats in Italy, some will eventually reap our vegetables" (Source:

Johan Rochel, vice president of the think Swiss tank Foraus and holds PhD on the

European immigration policies, in an interview with the Times, online edition of 31 July

2015). They can rest assured, this is already the case for a long time in Spain and

southern Italy. 

Two economists (Source: Emmanuelle Auriol, Toulouse School of Economics, and Alice

Mesnard, City University of London, quoted in Le Monde, online edition of April 20,

2015) argue the thesis open flow by selling visas, while severely punishing illegal work. 

The "wage dumping" is also regularly discussed, including Switzerland or in some

European countries that are not bothered to give her occupation (Plumber) and

nationality (Polish). Several cases are cited, including in Switzerland (Source: 24 hours,

online edition of February 24, 2014). The problem is often confused with "contractual"

immigration (among member countries of the Schengen area) and / or immigration

"chosen" (policy implemented by a State at the national level, or the one directly linked

to the refugees).

Without falling into mafia sectors, workers who do not have the right to be working

anyway. They are helped by their families, for their friends, but often pay no payroll tax,

have no professional or social protection since they do not have the right. It also

participates in the race to the bottom and bankruptcy of our systems since fewer people

are working according to "the rules", pulling down prices which, in one way or another,

we all benefit at one time or another.

The few research and articles we have consulted on the subject of migrant labor in

illegal situations in Europe show that the problem itself is the product of two factors: the

restriction on the legal labor market due to the qualification "illegal" of these migrants

and the "benefits of employers to use undeclared labor". (Source: C. Boswell and

Straubhaar Th, "The Illegal Employement of Foreigners in Europe" in Intereconomics,

2004). C. Boswell and Straubhaar Th (see below), referring to figures from the

European Commission in 2003, indicate that at least 70% of illegal entrants to Europe

were also illegally employed. Similarly, H. and J. Moebert Hentorf (2004) clearly indicate

the economic model of entrepreneurs who profit from the hand of illegal work by

including an economic model of "illegal immigration market" (Source: H . Hentorf and J.

Moebert, "The Demand for Illegal Immigration and the Market Outcomes" in

Intereconomics, 2004). G. Tapinos says the same thing, referring both to the European

situation than American, historical and present: it is primarily the employer who benefits

from the situation of illegal migrant workers "(Source: .

Finally, according to A. Venturini (Source: "? Do Illegal Migrants Compete with National

Workers' A. Venturini, Intereconomics in 2004), it seems clear, on the basis of the few

scientific studies conducted so that the illegal migrant worker damages Local worker by

competition that comes from the organization of work and non-declared

production. Regardless, it appears that as the illegal migrant worker that local workers

are victim of irregularities orchestrated by a system of communicating vessels that

benefit the faster and smarter. Similarly it would be futile to attempt to seek a culprit in

the person of the entrepreneur who seeks to survive, even when illegally do within the

law becomes possible.

Amazing statistics on undeclared work, published by the European Union in 2012, show

that this phenomenon is much more than a marginal element in the creation of national

wealth:

In France, a report of the Court of Auditors a "shortfall" of social insurance, of

undeclared work, 20-25000000000 euros, has ith a doubling of the amount of fraud in 8

years.

According Tapinos Georges, of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris (Source: , The

issue of migrants can not be reduced to a physical control of migration flows in which

only touring designs to mafia networks and the illegal economy. Tapinos G. rightly

points q'en already in 1998, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service had

dismantled an organization that itself had permi traffic of over 10,000 Latino workers

clandestinements arrived in the United States. The same year, more than 2 million false

papers had seized summers in a studio in Los Angeles . 

It is known that most migrants are paying well above a simple airline ticket to get to

Europe. The average cost of a crossing of the Mediterranean to Greece eta it estimated

at 500 EUR, some paying obviously much . The transfer from Africa to Europe, notably

Lampedusa, would cost between $ 400 and U SD 700 migrant Africans. 

In 2015, it was estimated the average cost per person of a migrant from Mosul to Paris

to EUR 1'600 . We quickly did the math: 500,000 refugees (who naturally do not all

come from Mosul but often much loins) EUR 1 600 times, that makes us a market of

over EUR 800 million. In addition, there are now more than half a million refugees from

Central Asia, the Near East, Africa or even the Balkans since Kosovo Albanian refugees

and represent, according to the latest statistics from the US to over 17% of the current

wave of migration.

On the other hand, it is estimated that the "migratory control market" weighs about 1

billion Euro per year since 2014. In fact, the security policies Euro pean border it will

largely funded security companies of all kinds up 'to heights dizzy. Even the ESA

(European Space Agency) pulled out of the game. And that does not include military

budgets. According to the Spanish government data, the Ceuta wall will cost between

2005 and 2014 the sum of 25 million Euros and that of Melilla that of 47 million

Euros. From 2005 to 2015, the Calais wall will cost a whopping 25 million Euros also 15

million for 2015 alone.

Another count, more macabre as this, identifies 30,000 migrants died since 2000,

mainly in the Mediterranean coasts and Lybiennes between the Italian coast of

Lampedusa and Sicily (Source: http://www.themigrantsfiles.com/).

By adding the revenue generated by the "passages", border security and monitoring

and impact of undeclared savings in% of GDP of the respective countries, the "turnover

of illegal migration" is counted in ten of billions of Euros every year. However, it should

add to that the direct cost of illegal migrants on companies, in social spending, but

mainly induced costs on the economy, since employers who employ migrants illegally

do not pay payroll taxes or various protections or assurances or pension funds

etc.Finally, these employers pull down prices planing inais as surely as the waves strike

planing skilled jobs and unskilled competitors who act legally but lose

business. Ultimately, the market for migrants, which is certainly underestimated

because of the famous "black figure" costs the economy several hundred billion Euros

every year, especially in the European space.

Although they are the goats ideals emissaries, they are not migrants who are

responsible for this situation: they are ourselves, indigenous, scions which the branch

on which we are sitting comfortably because we always want more for less This, and we

put additional pressure on our professional legal jobs that need to be ever more efficient

to remain competitive at a global competition, fierce, and not always "legit".

Work conditions? Labor unions?

Since the main real effect of the influx of migrants, economic or political refugees, about

our company, or even their imperfect mafia integration into a system of economic

production, we are having to question the analyzes and solutions made possible by

these same agencies that are responsible and mission, to ensure the development and

respect for rules to protect workers and ensure that working conditions are the same for

everyone, as recommended by the Charter of the Rights of Men and ILO International

Conventions (International Labour Organization). Basically, what are the positions vis-à-

vis trade unions of this migration crisis?

Having had the chance to observe the work of some vis-à-vis trade union of workers

exploited by Italian criminal organizations in Lombardy there a few years ago, it was that

these organizations were indeed the only ones among the private institutions or public,

came to the meeting of these workers if not illegal it, exploited by their employers,

usually "caporali" acting nth sub-contractance on public or private projects of all sizes

and all budgets.

The answers are, that's to say the least, quite disturbing. While many actors, politicians,

media, academics and NGOs are expressed and take positions on immigration

recurring basis, unions remain surprisingly silent on the subject. 

Why this deafening silence on this massive migration? Why their stances do not

challenge the authorities, but merely to call for mobilization? Why stoned their political

opponents rather than propose solutions? And especially given their predilections

themes, why do they say nothing on the subject of migration and employment in their

countries?

Our analysis is based on the online documentation, provided mainly by the websites of

the trade unions themselves. For each organization, we searched the terms "migration",

"migrants", "refugees" and "asylum" in the site search option (if available). Sort was then

made between shots of local or national positions and those related to international

issues, the ones that interest us. In general, the news (news), statements and press

releases were reviewed for a three-year average (2015 to 2013 or even 2012 if

possible). Similarly, we tried to be attentive if the union is pursuing a campaign on the

theme of refugees or migrants.

We note that very few national unions took strong way position on the subject of

migrants / refugees.For most major European unions discussed their concerns are

mainly related to national claims as the right to strike, freedom of association, workers'

rights, the issue of pensions or that of social contributions. The bulk of European or

Europeanized topics, focuses on the Transatlantic Economic Partnership (TTIP)

concerned significantly unions.

We will note, however, a notable exception, that of the European Trade Union

Confederation (ETUC), which publishes more than other unions on the issue of

migrants, but unfortunately very little about the profound impacts of migration and even

less about innovative solutions. Releases seem rather want to try to put as much

pressure as possible on European Ministers so that they adopt common solutions,

viable and effective, both in management and in the respect of human dignity.

Across the Atlantic, the next US elections warrant a revival of trade union activities,

close to the Democratic Party for most. Immigration is obviously treated in terms of

regional considerations (Mexican and Canadian immigrants).

In general, in decision-border positions by unions studied, when it comes to refugees,

the majority of publications refer to the situation of Palestine / Gaza, for the period

studied.

In France, the CFDT is a great French union. The migration does not appear as a major

issue, nor in her positions, if in his articles. The General Confederation of Labour (CGT),

offers a page dedicated to the phenomenon of migration, in which are articulated three

major issues: the right of migrants, free movement and the right to asylum. That said, on

the first theme, the "record" has not been updated since 2008. Finally, the Workers

Force has published several articles on the topic as well as a position paper, calling

Europe more solidarity, dated May 19, 2015.

In Italy, italiana del lavoro Confederazione General (CGIL), focuses its activity on the

international rather on European subjects (TTIP, labor rights, etc.). Only one stance was

made on the subject of migration between 2015 and 2014. Meanwhile, the

Confederazione Italiana Sindacato Lavoratori (ICFTU), a priori gives great importance

to migration and everything seems to indicate that at least one person is dedicated to

the study of this topic within the union. From 2009-2014, 22 stances and events have

been organized in connection with the subject, but only one in 2014. Finally, the Unione

del lavoro Italiane (UIL), to, in the last two years, issued one publication on the theme of

migration in response to the referendum on February 9 in Switzerland.

Switzerland has two major unions Unia and the Swiss Trade Union (ASU), and a dozen

sectoral labor movements. The first, between 2010 and 2015, has published five

positions taken on the issue of migration, and a single (Source: official website of Unia,

article titled "Switzerland should accommodate 10% of the migrants rescued in the

Mediterranean ", published on 05.16.2015) directly concerning the theme of the massive

influx of migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan through the Mediterranean Sea. The

USS, for its part, responded twice (Source: official website of the USS article "! Sooner

or later, everyone would spend", published on 09.25.2014 and "Stop a migration policy

without humanity" , published June 19, 2012), in 2012 and 2014.

In Belgium, the General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium (CGSLB) is

rather active in her positions and publications (by 2-3 weeks, which contrasts with other

organizations). Between 2015 and 2012, only one stance, made April 24 2015, relates

directly to the issue of migrants and, specifically in this case, a call to fight against the

smugglers. The Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (CSC) put online only his most

recent position papers (articles and press releases) to the date of 25 April 2015. On this

-courte- period, the union has taken a stand once, September 3, 2015, following the

publication in the press shots of small Aylan This Kurdish boy drowned and that moved

across Europe and recently led several European leaders to influence their positions on

asylum. The General Federation of Labour in Belgium (FGTB) is also very active on the

web, with several publications (news, press releases, etc.) per week. Between 2015 and

2013, however, only two mention the issue of migrants, one of 26 August 2015 and the

other on the International Migrants Day dated December 18, 2013.

Across the Atlantic, the United States, the American Federation of Labour - Congress of

Industrials Organizations (AFLCIO) - is the only American member of the ITUC. Budget

source, this combination of American unions was one of the biggest financial

contributors for 2013 ITUC (about one and a half million euros, out of a total of

sixteen). Not surprisingly, the union's website is full of information, including a complete

record on immigration. That said, of course they concern issues related to migration in

the US, so mainly from Mexico, Canada and South Korea.

In Canada, the Canadian Labour Congress (CPC) published a study in 2013 which

showed that "75% of jobs created in Canada between 2010 and 2011 were endowed

with international labor migrants, while 1.4 million residents Canadians were

unemployed. " This is the only union making a link between immigration and

unemployment at this stage. For its part, the Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions

(CSD) is also a member of the ITUC. Their new on the website are only visible until

2013, and no publication mentions the problem of migrants / refugees (except the views

point of integration on the national territory). Finally, the Confederation of National Trade

Unions (CSN) sometimes evokes the issue of migration within a national framework but

marginal in the past three years. On the occasion of International Migrants Day (18

December), the CSN issues a press release, the traditional way, between 2013 and

2011.

At the other end of the world, Australia has also been studied because of the stances of

his Prime Minister Mr. Abbott and its migration policy. The Australian Council of Trade

Unions (ACTU), is the only Australian union member of the ITUC. CUTA has a section

entitled "International Solidarity", divided into four categories: human rights,

humanitarian aid, with participation of international bodies (ITUC and ILO), international

standards and rights. The issue of migration is of minor importance, however, and

where one stance, October 28, 2009 addressed to the Minister of Immigration and

Citizenship, appears online. The "speech and opinion" provides no information on the

keywords "Migration", "immigration" or "refugee".

We expanded our study to the existing unions in other major developing countries,

including India and Nepal.

In India, Hind Mazdoor Sabha is a member organization of the ITUC who recently took

his distance and was very critical vis-à-vis this organization is yet one of the biggest

contributor. The stances and press releases are all written after and not neatly on their

website. Some of this information relay the positions of the ITUC. No record made

specific mention of issues concerning migration, but since the union of republishing

About the ITUC and other partner organizations, the theme is present succinctly. The

Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), large and influential Indian union is

rather critical of the ITUC. Several of its members, including executives, have

expressed strong remarks about the financial management of the ITUC. Unfortunately,

the union's website is very detailed regarding his positions and publications concerning

migrant workers. Finally, the Self Empoyed Women Association (SEWA), a member of

the ITUC, whose characteristic is to defend the rights and interests of Women,

published several studies and even books on various topics. None relate to the issue of

refugees or migration.

In Nepal, the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) is a Nepalese

member union of the ITUC. It has a file related to migrant workers which provided

enough on the Internet site of the search engine lists more than 115 news related to the

keyword "migrants". That said, some mixed local issues (immigration) and the

international (Nepalese workers abroad, particularly in the Gulf countries).The union

appears to be rather active in this field, notably as regards the Nepalese migrant

workers in the Gulf countries. For its part, the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC),

also a member of the ITUC, is one of the few unions have published a whole document

on the theme of migration and racism (in Nepali, so impossible to know the

contents ). The remaining publications are in Nepali, it is impossible to establish a clear

statistical. The largest union of Nepal (INDECONT) has published a very critical opinion

on the role of CSI in the context of managing the problem of migrants.Enfin workers, the

All Nepal Federation of Trade Unions (ANTUF) is the largest of Nepalese Trade Unions,

member of the ITUC. On their website, there is indeed a "document" tab grouping policy

papers, reports and press conference, but they are empty of content. Unable to

establish a statistically clear.

Faced with such a global issue, it is a must-union organization which most unions listed

below are members: ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) and ITUC

(International Trade Union Confederation). This umbrella organization headquartered in

Brussels, represents since 2006, date of its creation, 328 affiliated organizations in 162

countries. It is therefore appropriate to look more closely their positions on the issue of

migration. 

Between 2011 and 2015, our research carried out with the same criteria as all other

unions show that no less than 58 (Source :: official website of the ITUC, theme

"migration". 20 publications relate Qatar, 7 the Gulf countries as a whole, 3 Malaysia

and South Korea 2) statements or pronouncements were made by the ITUC on the

theme. The omnipresence of the situation of workers in Qatar is troubling given the role,

mission and members of the CSI, especially in the current situation. So much so that

the emirate appears to be targeted by the organization. No fewer than twenty

publications target the pétromonarchie and at least four others specifically mention. For

comparison, the small neighboring state, the United Arab Emirates, are not the subject

of a single article. The "Gulf countries" under this name, appariassent only four times

also. Qatar alone represents over 40% of the publications of the NGO over a period of

six years, not counting a campaign ITUC against him. In a recent study of the union

(Source: study of CSI entitled "worst countries for workers," published June 10, 2015,

online), Qatar is considered a "worst countries regarding the right of workers ", earning

a score of 5 (of 5). The subjects such as slavery also occupy the CSI who devote their

notifications 36 (child labor / forced labor) which only 3 concerns the Gulf emirate and 5

all the Gulf countries (UAE and Saudi Arabia) since 2011. 

The latest publication of the ITUC dated September 7, 2015 relates to supporting the

UNHCR's position paper noting rightly (finally) that some rich countries like the Gulf

countries, should agree more migrants.

The ITUC, as the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), as international

representatives of the various national unions are active in the field of workers' rights,

and recalling tempting at will, with a lot of surveys and rankings, countries that do not

respect UN conventions in relation to workers' rights and especially the freedom to

assemble and to organize. Although CSI seems monomaniac Qatar, it merely as all

other institutions, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the UN

repeating mantra, that "migrant workers should have the same rights as national

workers "(Source: http: //www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f p = NORMLEXPUB: 12100: 0 :: ::

P12100_ILO_CODE NO: C143).During the 104th International Labour Conference held

in Geneva from 1 to 13 June 2015, the ILO Chairman Guy Ryder stated that "there are

no simple solutions" (Source: http: /

/www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_373603/lang-en/index.htm) to

the problem. Mr. Ryder thank you for this good point. We note that Mr. Ryder was

General Secretary of the ITUC before Mrs. Burrows and that "high levels of discussion"

of this 104th conference summers "historized" on the ILO website in a pathetic tweets

following hashtagués excessive ( Source:

http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_373603/lang-en/

index.htm). The concepts of "fair migration" or "decent work". These practices

sometimes and often conceptual debates are concluded by the Director General Ryder

that says "off measures to halt the flow of migrants only scratch the problem. We need

to analyze more closely the root causes that force people to put their lives in danger to

find tr avail and security in foreign countries ". 

The ILO, however, that" the development of effective responses requires commitment

and the participation of business leaders and labor leaders and other stakeholders to

develop national own answers to stimulate growth and create jobs, while preserving

social protection and labor. This process also requires a balanced dialogue on how to

ensure that migration systems to be fair and respectful of the rights of the human

person, which can only be done in co operation with the regions concerned ". This is

one of the few times we see clearly mentioned the role of unions in the equation that

could provide a solution to migration problems.

Solutions?

Although the problem is complex, but that does not mean it's complicated. Between

"chosen immigration", the "closed borders", the building of walls and barriers of all kinds

(physical as much as administrative), support the development of countries of origin of

migrants and the "necessary requirements economy ", everyone, politicians,

economists, sociologists and media has their own verse. 

Unfortunately, immigration is not a faucet is opened or leisure we farm. This is not an air

stream or a river water made. It is human beings. 

The numbers of immigration and asylum published by the European Union are not

clearer or easier to access. On the one hand because the statistic is a data collection

process that takes time and can not adapt to the massive acceleration of a situation (in

this case the influx of migrants / refugees) and partly because the European legislation

is not truly uniform, which implies reclassifications between different categories of

people (and there are many) between "migrants", "refugees," "asylum" and the

subtleties . within these few subcategories 

However, we recommend a visit to the Eurostat page (Source: http:

//ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/asylum-and-managed-migration/statistics-illustrated ) on

this subject which also offers temporal dynamic maps to apprehend the evolution of the

phenomenon from 2008 to 2014. 

The choice of immigration is a blatant lie since none of the states of the "first world" is

capable choose the migrants arriving on their soil. Immigration "chosen" has the result

that two perverse effects: create a class of migrants without any legal status or rights,

and non-compliance (because qu'inapplicables) justices decisions for reference, making

weakens that why these migrants rush home to find a better future. Rule of Law 

The Law is a tool to target individuals. Thus, the mass phenomenon of migration is

treated individually.Indeed, asylum procedures, mainly, are procedures that

individualize the problems, reasons, at the person and possibly her family. It is clear that

before a massification of immigration, individual procedures are completely outdated as

a dike east during a flood. 

Building walls may well run the barbed industry and construction, but no wall, as high as

it is, can stop these desperate movements seeking future. The two fortified gates of the

Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in Morocco, yet high of 6 meters, killing more

than they stop. Greece has built a barbed wire wall on its eastern border with Thrace

and Hungary did the same today on its border with Serbia. Portions of barricades

between the United States and Mexico do not stop them either migrants. Even the

Mediterranean Sea or the treacherous Indonesian isthmus do not stop in the road

migrants to Australia. 

The administrative barriers are also grotesque. As did meet a correspondent from Radio

Télévision Suisse (RTS) on the news 19: 30 September 10, 2015, the flood of Syrian

migrant breaking on the Hungarian border in Serbia looked like a "tragic circus". Indeed,

as war refugees, migrants are legally entitled to status and entry into the European

territory, instead of organizing the earliest possible laying the contrary all kinds of

physical barriers to migrants not having to undergo any returns and references due to

the Schengen and Dublin agreements. 

D years last modified September 11, 2014  the European Pact on Immigration and

Asylum of 24 September 2008, the European Union welcomes the adoption of the

Common Asylum System (CEAS), to strengthen the governance of the Schengen

system and the European Border Surveillance System (Eurosur) and new tasks and

resources entrusted to Frontex. The entire document specifically advanced selective

immigration on the one hand and the fight against trafficking on the other, they fall under

the forced exploitation of migrant smuggling networks.

Development assistance to when it has clearly not met expectations attributed to

him. Thousands of books, reports, commentaries, reports, positive or negative,

summers were devoted to this broad theme.Recall that it was in 2000 that the UN, as

part of the "Millennium Development Goals" (Source: http:

//www.un.org./fr/millenniumgoals/index.shtml) clarified the meaning and objectives of

official development assistance, the main was to reduce world poverty by half between

2000 and 2015. According to the 2015 report of the MDG (Source: http:

//www.un.org./fr/ millenniumgoals / reports / 2015 / pdf / rapport_2015.pdf), most goals

are about to be realized. The major risk pointed to by the report (p.8) states among

other conflicts are now the leading cause of the wave of migrants in Europe and the

Middle East. But it is also relative poverty that drives millions of Africans to Europe and

millions of Latin Americans to the United States, millions of Asians to Australia, the

United States and Canada and million people of Indian subcontinent in the Gulf

countries, Africa, Europe, the US and Canada. At the same time, pressure on

commodity prices, oil and agricultural products, accompanied by rampant pollution in

large urban areas of developing countries which are always crammed more people are

that accounting systems longer work and that investment profitability forecast in heavy

industries dropped.The lack of infrastructure, cooperation and independence of local

actors that local manufacturing industries hardly develop. 

Development aid is even held in check at the heart of Europe and after several

decades, levels of lives are not even reached between the countries of the European

West and those of the East European as the financial crisis wreaks havoc on

employment and investment in the continent. Despite the 135 billion USD Public

development aid injected in 2014, the results are undermined by conflict and mass

population movements. We must add to that the huge amounts of private aid performed

particularly by US private foundations (including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)

which supported 2'647 projects in 2014 (Source: http: //www.gatesfoundation.org/ How-

We-Work / Resources / Grantee-and-Partner-Survey-Report).

Yet, as noted by C. Boswell and Th. Staubhaar (op.cit), solutions exist, which have

already been tested and whose effectiveness is verified by experience. These are

"measures that are highly likely to reduce illegal employment and in a certain sense, to

minimize negative impacts on business, civil liberties and the rights of migrants". These

measures are all to a progressive integration: (1) the expansion of legal immigration

programs, which means somehow ease the legality criteria for more legal migrants and

less illegal, (2) regulation that puts pressure on the calculations of employers knowing

that the illegal situation may last only for a time, for employees create a pull factor and

an additional motivation.However, the authors note that temporary regularization

programs (for limited periods) as there have been in Italy, France, the United States or

Belgium, mean that many workers spend illegality to legality, then fall into illegality. The

authors also mention (3) an entry control used to "legalize" to some extent inputs but

outputs. However, the increase in visa requirements and tighter customs controls

allowed the smuggling networks, whether or not part of criminal networks to flourish and

grow. However, most migrants were arriving at the time on tourist visas and then stayed

illegally in host countries for possible regularization. The authors also note that (4)

sanctions against employers can be effective and dissuasive. However, most of the

migrants home countries do not implement these legal measures illegal work control for

several reasons: lack of resources, too weak penalties, political fears, desire to preserve

the national or local economic fabric etc. These measures remain very episodic, but it is

precisely this "accomplice" inaction that employment "black" is still sought after by

employers. Much less by employees. In addition to the sanctions, it would also be

possible (5) to establish benefits for companies that employ legal workers. These

benefits are difficult to implement without controls, but local initiatives have shown,

particularly in the control of public tenders and sub-contractance, it was possible to

legally benefit companies that, by way, are all supposed to work legally until proven

otherwise. It should however be that the contractors can provide the means to act in

case of violation of the established agreement in a simple, fast and direct. However, this

is usually done at the direct expense of illegal migrant workers who suddenly find

themselves not only without a job but also stigmatized for having "stolen the work of the

natives."

The authors note that this relative "tolerance" of States to illegal work, moonlighting,

modern slavery or whatever term we use to describe it, which also benefited the

economy in general, is on track to be completed because of the migration crisis facing

OECD countries, especially Europe and the United States for some years.

Work, family and democracy?

Problems and stigmatization of which are victim migrants of all kinds are multiple and

sometimes intertwined. As noted above, they are the fertile bed of xenophobic

discourse that fuel the fears and the most apocalyptic fears premises themselves, by

their citizenship status, vote. 

One of the first concerns of any elected in European big cities, for many years, is having

to manage populations much of which has no say over said management through

democratic means of representation and elections. The migrants do not vote and a

fortiori, can not be elected. From a systemic point of view, it is extremely difficult to

effectively manage a population to meet its aspirations if one does not "return" of a

significant part of the same population. On the other hand, the possible effects of

extreme participation of migrants in the democratic exercise is a regularly agitated by

politicians who benefits scarecrow to refuel voice. 

To work around this situation "blind" Several municipalities were for decades attempted

to return channels of parallel information at local level (municipalities, districts) through

various associations of inhabitants. The exercises in which, in France, is commonly

called "participatory democracy" actually comes from some disadvantaged

neighborhoods of large US cities or neighborhoods such councils summers

implemented by municipalities in the years '70 already, surfing the hippie wave of

protest and the effects of the Vietnam War. Some of these experiences were successful

summers that are still found today, many of the failures against it for different reasons

summers. We are not referring the debate on these social experiences but we can refer

to a body of literature that is easy on the internet.

Citizen participation of migrants is nevertheless a logical outcome of our countries. In

Switzerland, in some municipalities, citizens who have lived there for 8 years or more

are entitled to vote and, to some, the right to stand. But only locally. It is not just to do

"experiences back" or to give part of the resident population an opportunity to propose

concrete solutions for the local and "living together", it is also a culmination of In terms

of integration and its responsibilities towards a society that welcomes. We must not

forget that most of the time, migrants come to our country because they enjoy a

structured framework, the rule of law, which guaranteed a certain social and physical

peace as well as a significant level of life . But that does not happen by itself. This also

entails duties towards the company. It is true that when we lived 20 or 40 years under a

totally and visibly corrupt regime, disorganized, dictatorial or nonexistent, the European

structures, to take it, may seem strange. But they are mostly idealized.

If we consider human history since ancient times, it is not a place on Earth that has not

much suffered from war, famine and disease than Europe. Since the Roman Empire,

the periods of peace are rarely spread over a whole generation and population

movements have many summers and constant. Does this mean that it is the product of

an ancient suffering, culminating in the industrialized savagery of the Second World War

that made infinitely weary, absolute loathing of violence has given birth to systems

where one speak rather than kill, it is not impossible and evolution is far from

over. Many other places in the world we suffered severe earthquakes of human nature:

the 1917 Revolution in Russia, the systematized and disembodied violence of

authoritarian regimes, the Cultural Revolution in China, etc ... .on multiply examples

endlessly . We must never forget the billions of corpses on which some leaders sit a so-

called "cultural superiority" European.

Just like the basic idea of globalization, attempting to remove the interest of wars by

increasing economic interdependence, the successful integration of migrant populations

mainly due to the work of the latter. But it is also one of the concerns put forward by

both xenophobic discourse in the real or perceived fears they engender and the

behavior of some migrants too. 

The countries receiving the most migrant populations in and out of the EU are those

who do it mainly for economic reasons, including the need for labor. But there are also

several other reasons: restocking, openness to the world, influences capabilities and

achievements of existing and future markets and a fundamental thing in the

international economic battle: culture. This culture made historical references, language,

habits of life and consumption is the preferred weapon of US companies since the 50s,

as was the English culture and those French and Italian before. Culture is the economic

weapon of choice which creates common codes and facilitates mutual understanding

and thus the conclusion of contracts and the opening of markets at the expense of less

structured competition. 

The work is therefore the perfect tool through which these cultures mix and learn while

influencing each other. The migrants work legally or illegally. This work and learn. But in

Europe, it is for us to understand what they actually learn from us and what we really

learn from them. Some things are irreconcilable but can coexist, like religion, others are

largely convergent, including work. 

This is true for migrants towards so-called "developed" countries, those in the

OECD. But this finding is also true for migration among developing countries: internal

migration in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Latin America or in the Central

Asia. Indeed, many migrant workers in agricultural or mining exploitation areas in

Africa. The construction of infrastructure for the football World Cup in Brazil and the

upcoming Olympic Games have attracted huge populations of other Latin American

countries in order to meet the manpower demand on construction sites. Migration is

sometimes internally in China (from the countryside to the towns) or Russia (moving to

the East). History also shows us that the United States and Canada have experienced

migration both internal and external very important in their stories and have shaped the

country's population today, both in its cultural and ethnic composition in its geographic

distribution.

One of the most frequently discussed issues since the formal or informal status of

migrant worker is on the issue of family reunification. The Convention no143 ILO

(Source: Migrant Workers 1975 (revisited provisions of the Basic Agreement of 1949)

foresee that states that host migrant workers facilitate family reunification of these

workers. The said Convention is based in particular on the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights, which guaranteed equal treatment and opportunities of every person

wherever she is. 

It is clear that the application of that family reunification disparities between states, even

Western Europeans, are striking. Even Switzerland long been blamed for its seasonal

system by countries like France, whereas today it is the French family reunification

policy which is directly challenged. Family reunification is a real objective, but it must be

at the discretion of each. On the other hand, some savings can make all the conditions

for family reunification for all migrant workers of the costs and infrastructure issues. It is

an eminently political balance between the needs of the economy and what the public

economy and that same little support in terms of costs (financial, infrastructure, cultural

etc.).To resume with Switzerland, such as family reunification had a very beneficial

effect both for Switzerland and for the countries of origin of migrants. But these

beneficial effects were significant costs that are recouped only on long terms within one

anyway generation (25-30 years), costs which are borne indirectly by the country of

origin (manpower loss) and entirely by the host country while profits are shared in

different ways and sometimes even reversed. However, family reunification is

accelerated when the working conditions are bad in either configuration. In all cases,

family reunification acts as accelerator of the migratory movement itself by multiplying it

by the number of family members and also acts as a multiplier of problems when the

home or starting condition is bad as it grows all from one family to look any further for

better working conditions.

Reinventing the historic role of trade unions in a globalized world

During the industrial revolution, especially in Europe and especially in England, France

and Germany, the unions summers, with the war (notably WWI) the main catalysts of a

paradigm shift in the world, breaking definitely great absolutist monarchies and

replacing the previous centuries in the heart of the debates, since the 1900s until the

1950s workers' rights and their quality of life. It is a combination of micro-political

struggles and macro-effects, geostrategic, economic and social that have no prior

patterns, led to the situation today benefit the workers of Western Europe and, to some

extent, the North American continent. But fossilized structures and calcification of the

debate starts today before the challenges of a globalized world, these social

achievements at risk. 

Let's say it clearly: retreat into a fortress, every barbed whether to retain benefits - some

would say privileges - is a strategy doomed to certain failure more or less long

term. Only an integration strategy can not be acceptable, unless we all want to fall back

into a kind of post-industrial Middle Ages because of various rights and privileges

assists, built on widespread corruption. 

Integration means to to question, to seek to assimilate without being engulf and this

applies to all. migrants and local, wherever they are in the world 

Working for Rights made by the unions at sectoral levels, then national and finally

international can not claim a successful global mission without turning radically and

rapidly. Indeed, many historical and European trade union structures are made of

economic and political support networks strengthened after the fall of the Soviet Union

for its generous funding but conditioned the political objectives of the country was open

rivers of money in the hands of sometimes unscrupulous officials or sometimes exalted. 

situations Annuities were introduced, relays within international organizations have

turned into members for employment agencies in retirement and at the same time,

organizations unions are losing members and do not represent the same political and

social forces which lead most of the time in order dispersed. Faced with globalization,

trade unions, organized in sectoral and national structures is close on their near-square,

is trying to play the international card in the manner of Amnesty International-style

NGOs or Human Rights Watch. 

On the other hand, economic interdependence between states of culture and different

stories makes them prisoners of their sectoral unions shackles and / or national, as

shown by the protests against the treaties of free trade agreement with the United

States (TTIP) or the union struggles against the relocation of factories or entire business

segments. It is therefore clear that if battle there for working conditions, it must be made

either very locally or internationally, ideally both levels simultaneously. 

In 2005, a research project of the Lombardy Italian unions (Source: L.Lusenti &

P.Pinardi, "Quick da Cantiere; Nuovi schiavi e caporali a Milano in Lombardia e nel della

globalizzazione Millennio" comedit, Milano, 2005) on undeclared work of immigrants

(primarily from Eastern Europe east) on sites of Milan and cities of Lombardy

highlighted the simple and efficient operating structures of a skilled labor law yet

because private and illegal, the interest of contractors and construction sites Mafia

criminals or simply intermediaries who were arranging the passage of one to the other

by pulling prices down while maintaining more than respectable margins on the back

end of the chain of workers. 

In its 2013 report, the CNCPT ( Italian joint committees between unions and the

government) lived in 2013 the figure of 52'046 work accidents in Italy, down 46% since

2008 and a number of incidentsfatalities from 218 in 2008 to 137 in 2012. Regarding the

construction of the Milan Expo 2015 being held, a secret report INAIL stated that "if the

Expo was built according to safety rules in force in the other Italian sites, there would

have been at least "18 000 including 40 fatal accidents and 1,700 have permanent

consequences on the workers" (Source: http://www.ilgiorno.it/milano/infortuni-cantieri-

expo-1.899823). Thanks to the permanent control of projects and methodologies

implemented by the social partners and public authorities in order to avoid sub-

contracting firms ghosts favorite subject of "caporali" mafia to exploit the consequences

without immigrant labor, no Death has been a lament on the Expo site. We note,

however, that a young worker of Albanian origin, Klodian Elezi, 21, died at the site of the

Milan device right next to the Expo site. This effort was made after several years of

negotiations between the social partners not to repeat the mistakes that had summers

committed in previous projects: the Olympic Games of Turin 2006, 1990 World Cup and

the construction of the Fiera di Milano, the largest public construction time in

Europe. Only after more than 20 years of accumulated experience that trade unions,

business and government sat around a table to establish binding common rules limiting

see preventing access to sites of companies who respected not the legal working

conditions for their workers, whether legal or illegal.

It is not by chance that this first awareness was found in northern Italy. This area, the

most industrialized in Europe and one of the most economically dynamic has seen its

construction sector jump since the 1970 Major projects have succeeded, always

employing the best labor market. Migrants from southern Italy have succeeded migrant

workers from North Africa, Eastern Europe and now worldwide. Criminal organizations

have organized themselves very early by standing as a compulsory intermediary

between labor and business by reinstating a modernized system "caporalato"

medieval.The money earned was laundered in Switzerland and throughout Southern

Europe and Northern. The workers were dying but nobody cared because it had no

existence. The construction sector continues to focus on is the curse of the exploited

worker. And for good reason: it is historically and statistically one of the sector that

employs the most people with low qualifications and are concentrated where a high

percentage of illegal migrant workers. The other sectors are agriculture, hotels and

restaurants and manufacturing. The domestic economy is also widely affected as a

sector but the figures are in absolute values much lower. Surprisingly, these are also

the three sectors (construction, hotels and restaurants and agriculture) or mafia

investments were the most important in Europe in any case since the years 1970 to

1975 (Swiss statistics) (Source: Nicolas Giannakopoulos, "Organised crime and

corruption in Switzerland, "Haupt, Bern, 2001).

Unfortunately, the internationalization of protection activities and representation of

workers' rights remains a myth sometimes confined to mothball nostalgic scents of the

Socialist International.Everyone wants happiness but his next anyone, especially us in

Europe, do not want to pay the price.

Yet the twentieth century European examples show that a very significant improvement

in the quality and working conditions possible. But this model is exportable or even

desirable? 

How can this square the circle? How to internationalize the protection and

representation of the rights of workers, including migrants, in a world in which the

globalized economy exerts constant pressure on prices?

In March 2015, the French NGO Sherpa filed a complaint in France against the

construction company Vinci for "forced labor" of his Indian and Nepalese workers

employed in Qatar (Source: . This is the first time a company from a country is sued for

an offense under the law where its headquarters is located, but respect of workers who

are not French and who undergoes the facts, according the charges of the NGO,

outside France. Is this the future of trade unionism? 

The union was created to protect the interests of a corporation made up of contributing

members. Depending on the country, their long history allows them to financed in

different ways:. membership fees, donations, but sometimes direct support of the State

(national, or regional or local authorities) and even, in some cases, companies

themselves unions of shares are historically related a form of political demand for the

acquisition of rights in a decision-making system, whether democratic or not. But the

actions of a trade union have evolved into a form of member services and completing

the tasks delegation public power, as the unemployment funds management or labor

courts or tribunals financial practices such as pension fund management and pension

funds. These organizations have also evolved by making more specific services to

members, such as information, advice, mediation and especially legal assistance. Some

unions offer legal and permanence of the same legal protection insurance for work-

related conflicts. . Other unions have also advanced to the activist and whistleblower

slope preserve of NGOs that denounce unacceptable 

situations, however, in regard to illegal migrant workers, these structures remain

inaccessible: these people having no existence legal in the countries where they work, it

may not enjoy the benefits and protections granted by particular law that makes them

vulnerable administratively in addition to being economically vulnerable. You rarely see

the workers refuse to work, even in the most abject conditions, even if they are not paid

or too little, and turn against their employers, except by small spontaneous revolts and

limited in space and in time. 

On the consumer side, resilience is phenomenal. Despite the fact that we know or can

know what happens in fields that are grown and harvested fruits and vegetables that

adorn our plates, we continue to eat it. On the one hand because it suits us

economically and secondly because justice is silent.

These initiatives give food for thought. For now, after more than 10 years of trial and

error, success is very relative, even in European countries. The 2008 economic crisis

has made it even more resilient workers and consumers in industrialized countries and

even more from the prices down, at the same time forcing companies to align with

competitors using illegal means. In sectors employing many low skilled labor, it is a real

downward spiral in terms of rights, not to mention working conditions. This trend to even

more dramatic impact in developing countries and the poorest countries living including

annuities their mining basement. 

The price crisis, however, forced the political, economic and social reinvent some

development models economic and human.

Today the unions are stuck in territorial legal frameworks and do not use to their

advantage. This is less the industry that limits their action, which is the bearer and

creator of a real know-how, expertise and a true understanding of the practices of a

sector. National legal frameworks against by limiting their actions and skills. Consider

two examples. 

A country where trade union rights are not guaranteed by law is a country where

workers can come together and defend their interests in this form. But these countries

need all the skills of large international firms that have otherwise their seats at least

subsidiaries that are legally placed in countries that permit this right, which opens up

possibilities for relocation of industrial action for workers but with over effects on private

contractual law on public law and sometimes, as shown in the work of the NGO Sherpa,

also under criminal law. 

There are countries, especially in the Gulf, which stubbornly refuse to grant right to

organize to migrant workers who work on their soil. This battle led several national and

international unions (such as the ITUC) reports, for anyone who knows the reality of

these countries, a basic misunderstanding about the social, economic and cultural

organization of these countries. It is rare that the citizens of these countries work. It is

therefore futile to ask them to organize. As against migrant workers are often unionized,

but in their respective countries, where unions have little or no resources or interest to

act in countries where migrants work.

In a globalized world where the rights are unequal, unions should seize the opportunity

of this European migratory wave to fundamentally reform and return to their mission that

made them successful in the twentieth century, namely the defense and improvement of

working conditions for all workers in the world. 

For this, they must use to their advantage the tools of this globalization: migration, multi-

nationalization of economic activities, Internet and disembodiment of a country to rise to

that the planet. 

Indeed, economic globalization that employees of an international construction

company (live or sub-contractance) in France and Germany are directly affected by the

same situations that are employees of the same branch China, India, Saudi Arabia and

Brazil. The market for construction machinery is globalized. The cement market is

globalized. The labor market is globalized. The market for construction tools,

construction outfits, scrap and metal structures are globalized. It is the same for

agribusiness, for hotels, for raw materials for some manufactured goods, transport,

etc. The main contractors are either international giants or consortia of companies that

fight on international markets. This requires that action in favor of workers are also

globalized and the possibilities they use wisely. But what is this wisely?

The needs are many, sometimes different (hence the need to have local structures) but

they can be grouped into a few categories: 

1) information: most migrants have bad information. It is transmitted most often by peers

and the information is distorted by successive filters and internal filters to each person

according to their degree of economic or simply human necessity. We therefore need

good information, truthful, understandable and reliable destination has not only migrant

workers but all workers. 

2) status: every person has a minimum status on which to build. illegal workers have no

status in their host countries, all as illegal migrants, making them easy targets for all

mafia structures or with criminal intentions. By cons, even illegal workers are citizens of

a certain country. They all have a status by the simple fact that they are human beings

and there are at least a common minimum legal system which can be activated to

recognize them a status. Unfortunately, these legal systems, often higher as the

European Court of Human Rights is all too easily activated by simply illegal migrants

with labor law compliance issues which their illegal status does not give them all so no

access. By cons, a status would allow organizations, trade unions since it is their

purpose, to activate various legal tools in different territorial jurisdictions (at the time of

the complaint from the NGO Sherpa) for reasons diverse and more accessible. 

3) services: in most dramas, there are laws that are not respected. These dramas are

only a small tip of a huge iceberg of various and varied abuses and violations of various

laws. In a globalized world, the right is itself subject to territorial restrictions, but the

migrant is not as much as it usually has a foot in a territory and another foot in the

other. The more leaves the individual domain for the collective field, the more the

diversity of rights and regulations and increases the types of needs increase. However,

there are situations in which, starting from individual cases, benefit the entire

group. This is the same principle of evolutionary law which, to be respected and

implemented, need to define the specific cases in its reality.If illegal Romanian migrants

working on construction sites without any protections or social insurance had the

opportunity to present their cases before the courts in the early 2000s, the situation in

terms of the black economy would be much different today. But there are also cases

where the collective, anonymous, benefits more extreme situations. Most illegal

migrants, operated or not, do not use the law because they would lose their precarious

jobs because of their highlighted. It is to avoid these "sticks returns" that collective

actions must be taken by acting on the plans of the international law in order to prevent

the victimization of victims resulting in a total omerta. Services must be very specific

and adapted to situations, professional services, technically feasible, strategically and

tactically smart made. 

4) cross pressure: the success of unions in their prime is that it was able to organize

crosswise political pressure by taking advantage of the great upheaval of the early

century: the first World War, Bolshevik Revolution and installation of the Soviet Union,

decolonization. The world today is similar to that in which the unions have achieved

their first successes, but they should be better used globalization to the advantage of

workers' rights than constantly - and ideologically - decline a trend which in any so

continue to accelerate. This means that the solution of a problem in a country A is may

be in a B or C country, and this is where he should act in the best with a view to

maximizing resources.

To achieve these objectives a drastic improvement of the working conditions of workers

throughout the world, reducing certain disparities which create markets calls, the unions

must disembody and globalize.If it is useful whether organized sectorally, they must

have the ability to be everywhere and nowhere at once, only the service of a world

population of workers moving at will on the surface of our planet. The sectorialisés and

territorially unions are doomed to be increasingly ineffective and become purveyors of

situations pensions for retired ideologues.

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ABOUT AUTHOR:

NICOLAS GIANNAKOPOULOS(NICOLAS GIANNAKOPOULOS IS ONE OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOP-SPECIALIST IN THE AREA OF ORGANIZED CRIME AND CRIMINAL STRUCTURES. DURING HIS STUDIES HE LEADS SINCE 1991, M. GIANNAKOPOULOS HAS ALWAYS HAD THE CONCERN TO MERGE BOTH RESEARCH AND PRACTICAL TOOLS AND ANALYSIS BY USING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN IMMEDIATELY APPLICAL TOOLS FOR PRACTITIONERS. M. GIANNAKOPOULOS IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED BOTH IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SIDES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS AIMING AT THE BEST-EVER MANAGEMENT OF CRIMINAL RISKS)