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A body of research on migrant workers and trade unions, undertaken by the university's Global Economy and Business Research Unit from 2006 onwards, contributed to improving workplace equity, inclusion and societal cohesion following the mass and super-mobile migration to the United Kingdom from the European Union's New Member States, and Poland in particular. The impact occurred at regional, national and European level through influencing policy-making processes and forums. A range of stakeholders and practitioners benefited, principally large trade union organisations and their clients, including the Communication Workers Union, European Public Service Unions, and the Polish trade union bodies Solidarnosc and OPZZ.
This research into the experiences of Polish and European migrant workers has enabled impact in four main areas: i) Through contributing to the organisational strategic decision-making of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), helping Polish workers in the UK; ii) By enabling the Polish Trade Union NSZZ Solidarność to collaborate more closely with major UK unions, such as GMB, TUC and Unison, and contribute more effectively to joint trade union strategies to represent migrant workers in the UK; iii) By influencing policy at European, national and regional levels, for example contributing to the posted workers draft enforcement Directive; and iv) By supporting individual Polish workers to access training, support and legal advice, helping workers integrate more effectively into their local community.
Research at Oxford, conducted by Roger Undy, assessed the efficacy of 68 transfers and 45 amalgamations of British trade unions and deeply affected the merger strategies of three unions: the IPMS (Institute of Professional, Managers and Specialists); UNIFI (Banking and Finance Union); and PTC (Public Services, Tax and Commerce Union). Each of these unions participated in the research and commissioned associated studies which examined, inter-alia, the relative advantage of the status quo as against a merger; the merits of different merger partners; and the post-merger organization of the new union. By 2012, these unions, assisted by this research, had radically changed their job territories, and internal organization, via a series of mergers. Subsequently, Unionen (Sweden's largest union) made improvements in its services, benefits, and bargaining power thanks to Undy's research. This impact continues to take effect across other unions, demonstrating the progressive and cumulative effect, and the national and international reach, of the impact of this research.
The impacts on policy makers, employment law and industrial relations outlined in this case study have emerged from the research by Dr Steve French into migrant workers in the UK. The overall impact of this research has been to raise awareness of the characteristics of employment in `migrant-dense' sectors, poor employment practices for migrant (and indigenous) workers, and the mismatch between the skills and employment of migrant workers. Findings of this research have been used: in debates about and development of an Employment Bill in 2008; in the restructuring of a trade union representing low-paid and low-skilled workers in an area in economic decline (North Staffordshire); and to ensure better understanding by practitioners of migrant worker issues resulting in improvement of services for this group.