A new mobility toolkit was launched in September 2010 to inform workers and employers in the private security sector about transnational labour issues. The sector is characterised by considerable levels of transnational recruitment, yet the sensitive nature of private security work complicates the tasks performed by the sector’s workforce. This new toolkit offers an overview of national arrangements regarding private security work and transnational employment.
Content and aims of mobility toolkit
The new mobility toolkit, launched on 8 September 2010, explains to both workers and employers from the private security sector the transnational labour issues that are relevant to this sector. The toolkit informs employers about legal issues they need to consider when recruiting and employing workers from other EU Member States, EU candidate countries, Norway and Switzerland. The toolkit offers information covering the following topics for 34 European countries:
- the labour market;
- social security;
- taxation;
- qualification requirements;
- criminal records checks;
- private security industry rules.
The toolkit aims to facilitate transnational employment in the private security sector.
Private security work is an expanding business and is attractive for transnational jobseekers. However, the sensitive nature of the work leads to many – and sometimes quite complex – country- and sector-specific rules regarding issues such as training, background checks and work permit issues. This toolkit therefore aims to provide information to both employers and employees to help them to understand the specific national and sectoral issues that are relevant for this sector.
The toolkit was developed by the Confederation of European Security Services (CoESS) and the trade union confederation UNI-Europa. CoESS is an umbrella organisation for national private security employers’ associations. It encompasses a variety of security branches including guarding, transport of valuables, electronic surveillance and location-based security activities (airport, maritime, critical infrastructure). UNI-Europa is the European regional organisation of the Union Network International (UNI), which represents, among others, those who work in property maintenance and security services.
The project is co-funded by the European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
Information for employers
The employer section of the mobility toolkit website sets out 10 questions deemed to be crucial for employers who intend to recruit employees from another country. These questions concern issues such as:
- the need for a visa or residence permit;
- the validation of domestic qualifications of a worker;
- regulations regarding carrying weapons in other countries;
- the compatibility of licences to work in private security between two countries;
- the level of salary and labour conditions in different countries.
The answers to each of the questions can be found in 34 individual country information sheets, contained on the website. This database of downloadable country information allows, for example, a French-based employer to gather information on matters regarding the prospective employment of a Slovenian worker. Most of the country information sheets are limited to six or seven pages, offering short and factual answers and references to local websites.
Information for employees
A similar approach to the above is used to inform employees. The employee section of the website allows workers to access information about the same sorts of issues when working or aiming to find work in the private security sector in another European country.
Employees are able to find the answers to 10 major questions in 34 employee country pages, for the EU Member States, candidate countries, Norway and Switzerland. Much of the information for employers and employees is similar; however, targeting country pages at employers and employees separately means that only relevant information for each party is included in each section.
Commentary
Private security is a prime example of a sector with considerable transnational employment opportunities. Yet at the same time the sector is characterised by extensive national legal and semi-legal specifications, regarding issues such as qualifications, carrying weapons and criminal records checks. The European sectoral social partners of the private security industry offer, through this toolkit, a welcome insight into national rules. This is especially useful at a time when existing transition arrangements, covering the entry of nationals from EU enlargement countries in central and eastern Europe, are expiring.
Michel Albertijn, Tempera