Poland seeks access to Europe job markets

Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz has said his government is lobbying for all restrictions on access to western European job markets to be lifted for Polish citizens.

Eight of the 15 old European Union nations, including Germany, continue to impose job restrictions on citizens of eight new EU member states.

This is aimed at preventing a feared influx of cheap labour from eastern Europe to the more affluent western countries.

"We want job markets to be opened for every single Pole. We want Poles to have the same rights as Germans or Brits," Marcinkiewicz said on Saturday.

He added that the government would strive to create more new job opportunities in Poland, where unemployment is 18 per cent.

Poland is the main reason why Germany, Austria, Italy, Denmark, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands renewed the labour restrictions in April, two years after the latest enlargement of the EU to 25 nations.

The restrictions must be lifted in 2011 at the latest.

In the eight countries, citizens of the eight eastern European countries still need a work permit and usually a declared job offer before being able to take up employment. They also face many administrative hurdles.

No country has sent more workers than Poland, whose 38 million people make it the largest EU newcomer.

Nearly two lakh Poles have registered to work in Britain since 2004, with some one lakh in Ireland and 8,000 in Sweden.

Up to 1 million Poles are believed to be working now throughout Europe.
Source: ndtvprofit.com