Wage and social dumping through cross-border provision and deployment of temporary workers to Austria (focus: field of construction)

The aim of this study was to find out more about the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of cross-border deployment and provision of temporary workers to Austria and related possible problems connected with wage and social dumping. The study provides an overview of the current legal framework conditions and the changes following the transition period for the freedom of movement for workers from May 2011. In order to identify the quantitative dimension of cross-border deployment and provision of workers, this study employed, for the first time, an analysis of primary data of forms for posting workers for the years 2008 and 2009 in addition to the analysis of secondary data by the Construction Workers’ Annual Leave and Severance Pay Fund (BUAK), the Control of Illegal Employment (KIAB), the business authorities and the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS). A series of expert talks were held regarding the existing practices of wage and social dumping and the expected changes after the transition period, problems regarding the assertion of legal rights and support possibilities for the people concerned. Documenting national and international cases of wage and social dumping constituted a further focus of the study. International good practice models for the fight against wage and social dumping rounded off the study.