Social Dumping Issue: European Union Measures and Social Protection Rights of Workers in North African Countries

Abstract

This study emphasized that social dumping issue remains problematic on a global scale. The background of this problem is the globalization of the economy, liberalization of trade and capital movements. They increase labor mobility, but due to labor productivity differences, they cause social dumping in countries where labor laws are weak and unqualified labor is dense. Social dumping causes unfair competition between countries and is therefore a practice that should be abolished in accordance with the International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions. Solving this problem on a global scale, will be possible if countries implement the seven basic conventions of the ILO. The study examines the issue from two perspectives. The first is the European Union’s problems with social dumping and the measures it has taken, and the second is the progress of North African countries in adopting ILO Conventions, given their role as southern Mediterranean trade partners of the Union within the context of developing countries. Temporary assignment, as an application of the right of free movement of persons included in fundamental laws of the Union, covers temporary mobility of workers from one member state to another. This mobility affects wages leading to injustices and increase social dumping cases, due to differences in labor laws and labor productivity among member states, The Union is developing efficient measures to combat against this problem. As For North African countries, as relatively labor-intensive trade partners of the Union, their social protection will improve with the increase in the share of qualified labor in trade and capital movement with the European Union and their compliance with the fundamental conventions of the ILO.

Keywords

• European Union
• Social dumping
• economic globalization
• international competitiveness
• North African Countries

Sosyal Damping Sorunu: Avrupa Birliği'ndeki Tedbirler ve Kuzey Afrika Ülkelerinde Çalışanların Sosyal Güvenlik Hakları

Öz

Bu çalışmada sosyal damping konusunun hala küresel boyutta önemli bir sorun olduğunun altı çizilmektedir. Bu sorunun arka planında ekonominin küreselleşmesi, ticaret ve sermaye hareketlerinin serbestleşmesi bulunmaktadır. Bu durum işgücü hareketliliğini arttırmaktadır, ancak işgücü verim farklılıkları sebebiyle işgücü yasalarının zayıf olduğu, niteliksiz işgücünün yoğun olduğu ülkelerde sosyal damping vakaları artmaktadır. Sosyal damping ülkeler arası haksız rekabet sebebidir. Bu nedenle Uluslararası Çalışma Örgütü (ILO) sözleşmeleri kapsamında kaldırılması gereken bir uygulamadır. Küresel boyutta bu sorunun çözülmesi, ülkelerin ILO’nun 7 temel sözleşmesini hayata geçirmeleri ile mümkün olabilecektir. Çalışma konuya iki yönden yaklaşmaktadır. Birincisi Avrupa Birliğinin sosyal damping ile ilgili sorunları ve aldığı tedbirler, ikincisi ise, gelişmekte olan ülkeler bağlamında Birliğin güney Akdeniz ticaret partnerleri olarak Kuzey Afrika ülkelerinin ILO sözleşmelerindeki ilerlemeleridir. Birliğin temel yasalarında yer alan, kişilerin serbest dolaşımı hakkının bir uygulaması olarak geçici görevlendirme, bir üye devletten başka bir üye devlete geçici bir süre iş gücü hareketliliğidir. Bu hareketlilik üye ülkelerdeki işgücü yasa farklılıkları ve işgücü verim farklılıkları sebebiyle ücretlere yansırken haksızlıklar doğmakta ve sosyal dampinge sebep olmaktadır. Birlik bu sorunları izleyerek çözüm önlemleri geliştirmektedir. Kuzey Afrika ülkeleri ise, Birliğin görece emek yoğun ticaret partnerleri olarak Avrupa Birliği ile olan ticaret ve sermaye hareketlerinde, nitelikli işgücünün payının artması ve ILO’nun temel sözleşmelerine uyum sağlamaları ile sosyal koruma artacaktır. This study emphasized that social dumping issue remains problematic on a global scale. The background of this problem is the globalization of the economy, liberalization of trade and capital movements. They increase labor mobility, but due to labor productivity differences, they cause social dumping in countries where labor laws are weak and unqualified labor is dense. Social dumping causes unfair competition between countries and is therefore a practice that should be abolished in accordance with the International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions. Solving this problem on a global scale, will be possible if countries implement the seven basic conventions of the ILO. The study examines the issue from two perspectives. The first is the European Union’s problems with social dumping and the measures it has taken, and the second is the progress of North African countries in adopting ILO Conventions, given their role as southern Mediterranean trade partners of the Union within the context of developing countries. Temporary assignment, as an application of the right of free movement of persons included in fundamental laws of the Union, covers temporary mobility of workers from one member state to another. This mobility affects wages leading to injustices and increase social dumping cases, due to differences in labor laws and labor productivity among member states, The Union is developing efficient measures to combat against this problem. As For North African countries, as relatively labor-intensive trade partners of the Union, their social protection will improve with the increase in the share of qualified labor in trade and capital movement with the European Union and their compliance with the fundamental conventions of the ILO.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• European Union
• Social dumping
• economic globalization
• international competitiveness
• North African Countries

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