From ‘Protecting Indigenous Workers’ towards Protecting Labour Standards?

Abstract The article examines how the Austrian trade union movement has responded to increased cross-border mobility in the context of labour market opening in 2011. Instead of opting for restrictions, an unrealistic policy in any case, the main emphasis now is on the enforcement of labour standards. Unions pursued this issue primarily through the Austrian social partnership, which fostered a comprehensive re-regulatory response. However, under the radar of inclusive bargaining institutions, incidents of non-compliance remain a challenge, especially involving cross-border subcontracting. Thus, a nationally-bounded enforcement strategy reaches its limits in transnational labour markets. This is increasingly acknowledged by unions who are complementing their partnership approach with more emphasis on transnational cooperation and initiatives that are geared towards the inclusion of mobile workers.