The first meeting, “kick-off meeting”, formally starting the implementation of the international research project entitled “Negotiating the working conditions and social rights of migrant workers in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe” (BARMIG), took place in the hybrid formula on October 7 and 8, 2020.
The aim of the “kick-off meeting” was, inter alia, analysis of the design situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the need to adapt the work schedule to dynamic changes resulting, for example, from national restrictions in the countries where the project tasks will be implemented. Representatives of the BARMIG project partner institutions from Slovakia, Croatia and Estonia, together with the project team at UMCS, also discussed the methods of disseminating the project results and constant substantive cooperation, using the most modern communication tools.
The BARMIG project is a project co-financed by the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission. The aim of the project is to conduct international, comparative research on the role of industrial relations in the context of migrants’ work in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In particular, it is about finding out how trade unions, employers and other stakeholders address problems with hiring workers from outside the EU. The project will analyze five sectors: healthcare, metal industry, construction, services and digital economy in six CEE countries, ie Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
The project coordinator is Dr. Dominika Polkowska, Deputy Director of the Institute of Sociology at UMCS.