A Race to the Bottom? Trade Unions, EU Enlargement and the Free Movement of Labour

When eight countries from Central and Eastern Europe joined the EU in 2004, unions in some countries argued that significant wage differentials between the old and the new member states necessitated transitional restrictions on free movement, but others insisted that employment standards should be protected by the enforcement of rights, not by restrictions. This article explores variations in union policies in comparative perspective, examining Austria, Germany, Ireland and the UK.