The Administrative Side of Industrial Relations in Selected EU Countries: Case of Posted Workers

Abstract

This article analyses the issue of posting workers and administrative challenges in the Baltic States and Poland. The administrative challenges are explained through administrative cooperation and information sharing/exchange between national labour inspectorates in the selected countries. The data for the analyses collected from the documentary and legal sources. The series of in-depth interviews were made with officials, experts and other interested actors that to collect data about information sharing/exchange and administrative cooperation between labour inspectorate through the Internal Market System (IMI). The results show growing need for personal and informal cooperation for exchange of administrative information in the European Administrative Space. We find that there are four advantages for information exchange through IMI: it is easier to find a responsible and coordinating authority in the Member States; it protects personal data; the information from the system is used for the purposes of legal proof or it is legitimized; and it is easier to find information. However, the strict procedural communication mode may overcome informal interactions by linked authorities or civil servants.

Keywords

• Administrative cooperation
• Baltic states
• information exchange
• Labour inspectorate
• posting workers.