On June 9, 2026, the HAMBURG TRAM4DW Hub launched its activities with a training seminar held at the premises of Arbeit und Leben on Besenbinderhof in Hamburg. Participants from advice centres in Hamburg and the surrounding region, public authorities, diplomatic missions, and academia discussed the topic “Knowing your rights – is that enough for decent work?”
While Germany has transposed and further developed European directives on decent work, many mobile workers continue to face precarious living and working conditions due to insufficient access to labour law counselling. The discussions concluded that existing counselling networks at both national and international levels should be strengthened, better coordinated, and expanded.
In cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences, its academic partner, the hosting organisation Arbeit und Leben Hamburg invited professionals from a wide range of fields of expertise. The seminar aimed to present the Hamburg TRAM4DW Hub and its objectives, foster expert discussion and exchange on the living and working conditions of mobile workers in Germany and promote networking among relevant actors.
The seminar opened with remarks by Mrs. Elvisa Kantarević, head of the German Hub’s ‘practical organisation’ Arbeit und Leben Hamburg, and Dr. Christo Karabadjakov from the University of Applied Sciences, the Hamburg Hub’s scientific partner. Both highlighted the challenges faced by migrant workers, including language barriers, limited access to legal systems, and frequent labour rights violations.
The TRAM4DW project aims to support migrants in precarious work by connecting labour law counselling professionals and fostering cross-border cooperation. A central question remains how decent working conditions are defined and implemented across EU countries. In the context of rapidly changing global dynamics, migration can no longer be understood as a one-time movement driven by fixed causes. Many migrants in Germany work under precarious conditions, which raises the question of how labour rights counselling contributes to their security and well-being.
A lecture by Dr Nikolai Huke from the University of Hamburg provided the scientific basis for discussion. His research, based on interviews with affected migrants and counselling organisations, focuses on labour rights violations, precarious employment in migrant-dense sectors, and access to legal support in Germany.
Dr Huke addressed two central questions: who is most affected by labour rights violations, and what forms these violations take. He began by outlining several key assumptions regarding access to justice for mobile workers in Germany. While labour rights are protected by law, a considerable gap remains between these legal standards and the realities experienced by many migrant workers. Despite frequent rights violations, relatively few affected workers seek legal redress. Closing this gap requires greater legal mobilisation, yet workers often weigh the potential benefits of legal action against its personal, financial, and professional risks.
Dr Huke identified sectors characterised by high labour turnover, weak union representation, and a large share of migrant workers. These include construction, logistics and delivery services, meat processing, cleaning, hospitality, seasonal agricultural labour, and home care. Across these sectors, the most common violations include unlawful dismissal, non-payment or delayed payment, underpayment below the statutory minimum wage, denial of paid leave and sick pay, and discrimination.
These practices reflect a structural imbalance of power between employers and employees. While exploitative working conditions reduce labour costs and increase flexibility for employers, workers often bear the economic and social consequences. As one participant noted, some employers also feel pressure to reduce labour costs in order to remain competitive. To achieve this, they sometimes see no other option but to violate workers’ rights. Regardless of the underlying motives, these practices highlight the urgent need for accessible labour rights counselling and greater public awareness of migrant workers’ exploitation.
Dr Huke then turned to the question of why so few labour rights violations result in legal proceedings. He argued that the answer lies in the interaction between workers’ precarious living conditions and the complexity of the German legal system. Labour law is difficult to understand, particularly for people with limited German language skills. In addition, many migrants have previously encountered negative experiences with public authorities, leading to distrust or resignation.
Legal action is further discouraged by multiple forms of precarity. Many migrant workers depend on their employment to maintain their residence status, support their families, or secure future opportunities. Combined with the unequal power relationship between employers and employees, these circumstances create a strong fear of retaliation. Moreover, the sanctions imposed on employers are often too limited to deter future violations.
Against this backdrop, workers understandably conduct a cost-benefit analysis before deciding whether to pursue legal action. According to Dr Huke, this is precisely where accessible and trustworthy labour rights counselling can become a “game changer.” Dr Huke described legal counselling as a fundamental pillar of the rule of law and an essential component of a functioning democracy. He concluded that knowledge of one’s rights alone is insufficient.
Effective mechanisms for enforcing those rights – without fear of losing one’s livelihood or residence status – are equally essential for ensuring dignified working conditions and narrowing the gap between legal protections and everyday reality. Ultimately, access to justice is not only a legal prerequisite but a fundamental condition for fair and decent work in a democratic society.
Counselling services help workers understand their rights, navigate legal procedures, evaluate available options, and provide practical support throughout the process. The discussions after the talk emphasized the importance of closer cooperation between counselling services. For example, referring to expert counselling would improve quality. Another approach to addressing the multiple challenges at the national and international levels is to strengthen, better coordinate, and expand existing counselling networks.
