International labour migration to/in rural Europe: a review of the evidence RYE, J.F. AND SCOTT, S.
Introductions 1. Sam Scott (University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham) 2. Johan Fredrik Rye (NTNU, Trondheim)
The New Rural - Emergence of the global countryside (Woods) - Low-wage labour migration biggest part of this - Proliferation of research since Hoggart and Mendoza s 1999 seminal study in Sociologia Ruralis - Though still more limited than N. American literature - Our aim was to identify the main themes
7 Key Themes 1. Migrant Worker Demand 2. Regulation of Migrant Worker Supply 3. Labour Market Segmentation 4. Migrant Channeling 5. Work-Based Exploitation 6. Agency of Disempowered Labour 7. Rural Integration
Migrant Demand Loss of local reserve army : Gentrification of countryside Rural depopulation Rural ageing Expansion of university Female career paths Agricultural work relatively less appealing than service work http://www.welney.org.uk/farming/farmi ng.htm
Migrant Demand Change in nature of employment: Buyer/ retail power leading to profits margin squeeze Shift to Post-Fordist production regimes (flexibility, insecurity) New forms of industrialised work e.g. Almeria s 10,000 greenhouses; bagged salad industry Intensified working practices (faster pace, closer monitoring)
Regulating Supply Different countries regulate supply differently: 1. Specialist food industry visa schemes e.g. UK SAWS and SBS until 2014 and proposals for new 75,000 scheme post Brexit e.g. Norway seasonal immigration quota programme 1991-2004 2. Recruitment by virtue of EU enlargement (largely A8 and A2) 3. Clandestine inflows e.g. southern Europe
Regulating Supply The triple win of visas programmes widely noted: 1. Workers from less developed countries 2. Sending economy benefits via remittances 3. Receiving economy benefits through more productive workers and temporary stay BUT issues around partial citizenship of workers (permanently temporary) and employer tiein
Segmentation Evidence: Primary (native) versus secondary (migrant) labour Good migrant worker versus Lazy local discourses in secondary labour markets Newer versus more established migrants, and the need for revolving-door fresh labour Different nationalities e.g. migrant workers played off against each other (Mesini, 2014, p 82) as part of an intensification process. Gender dimensions e.g. nimble fingers
Channeling Importance of intermediaries in terms of: Migration Finding work Travelling to/ from work Accommodation! Often associated with exploitation! But role varies in different country contexts e.g. large employment agency sector in UK
Exploitation Food production jobs certainly tightly controlled and relatively poor pay and conditions Arguments that elements of food production employment are deteriorating (linked to economic restructuring) with a race to bottom And that migration is in part an ingredient in this deterioration Exploitation has been observed across a range of country context (especially amongst informal workers)
Exploitation Denial of breaks Excessive pace of work Unrealistic targets Physically or mentally harmful work Unable to talk to colleagues Excessive monitoring and surveillance Pay below minimum wage Sub-standard accommodation Endemic job insecurity Bullying and abuse
Agency In a world dominated by capital, how do workers carve out space for social life and private lives? Is there evidence of workers resisting their status? 1. Food production work as stepping stones 2. Remittances and dual-frame of reference 3. Collective social movements and protest: Examples from literature of temporary and/ or seasonal food industry labourers taking action: Codetras movement (France); El Ejido protests (Spain); Nardo strike (Italy); Berry pickers movement (Sweden)
Rural Integration How are rural societies being reshaped by immigration? Are migrants experiences significantly different in rural vis a vis urban settings? How does the type of job you have affect your ability to integrate e.g. temporary versus permanent job; e.g. industrial versus family farm How does citizenship status matter e.g. seasonal visa e.g. clandestine status How does family status matter e.g. single male worker versus migrant family How do the particularities of a place matter e.g. English rural versus Norway rural
Futures
Migration Scenarios 1. Liberalization 2. Re-regulation 3. Mechanization
Research Gaps 1. Theory 2. Larger-scale research: comparative, statistical, surveys 3. Beyond horticulture: other agriculture; food packing and processing 4. Other literatures: rural studies, migration studies, and labour market studies