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EU Official Seeks End to Limits on Workers:Posted By: Joshua Boyles By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union's top employment official appealed Tuesday for the EU's western nations to quickly drop restrictions on workers from the bloc's new eastern members."Free movement of all workers in the EU is our goal," said EU Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla. "The distinction between old and new member states should disappear as soon as possible." Under EU rules, citizens from all member nations should be allowed to work wherever they like within the bloc. However, 12 of the 15 old members imposed temporary restrictions after eight eastern European nations joined in May 2004, to prevent a feared influx of cheap labor. That exemption was for two years, but nations have until May 1 to extend their restrictions for another three — or eventually five — years. The European Commission has played down concerns that ending the restrictions will lead to a massive influx of eastern workers squeezing locals out of the job market. A report last month said eastern immigration had generally been lower than expected since the EU's expansion. Britain, Sweden and Ireland immediately opened up their labor markets and Ireland has seen the largest inflow of people from the east, who now represent 3.8 percent of the work force. However, the EU says the new workers have contributed to its recent economic growth. In all the other old EU nations. workers from the new members represent less than 1 percent of the work force — except Austria with 1.4 percent. Portugal, Spain and Finland have said they will open up their job markets on May 1, while Germany, Austria and Belgium plan to keep their restrictions. The other six old EU members have yet to inform the Commission of their plans, but EU officials expect most will maintain the restrictions. The umbrella group representing Europe's main business organizations issued a statement saying that its members are "overwhelmingly in favor of immediately lifting existing restrictions." However, its German members said the "very strained labor market situation" there should mean the restrictions are prolonged until 2009. Three of the new EU members — Poland, Slovenia and Hungary — imposed their own restrictions on workers from the old member nations. Cyprus and Malta, which also joined the EU in 2004, were excluded from the restrictions imposed on the new eastern European members. Courtesy Of: Yahoo! News The information reported above is property of Yahoo! inc. and reprinted or modified with legitimate permission. We thank Yahoo! inc. for the kind cooperation with us and other shareholders. |
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