Viking and Laval: An Introduction

Abstract

While the accession of the 10 former Communist states was generally greeted with enthusiasm by much of the European political elite, the trade union movement in the West was concerned that cheap Eastern European workers would flood Western European labour markets, thereby undercutting Western wage rates. As a result, a number of the old Member States (but not the UK, Ireland and Sweden) imposed transitional restrictions on the right of individuals to come to the West to work. However, these restrictions did not extend to employers—in particular service providers—coming from the new Member States, bringing with them lower paid Eastern European labour to fulfil a contract.