Download základní teze vystoupení Autor: PhDr. Milan Lupták, CSc Katedra

Theory and Practice of a „Client System“ – On
the Example of a Community of Ukrainian
Labour Migrants in the Czech Republic – Basic
Propositions
Dr. Milan Lupták, PhD.
Department of Politology,
School of Economics in Prague

Within a community of Ukrainian labour
migrants in the Czech Republic an
important social capital is accumulated in
a client system. Relations within the client
system are typical of Ukrainian
entrepreneurs and their employed
compatriots. Both legal and illegal
migrants are caught in client networks.

Client relations are in discussions of this issue in
the Czech Republic called simply: relicts of a
Soviet system, a modern slavery or a quasifeudalism. From the state side, there is a clear
attempt to eliminate Ukrainian clients by
recruitment agencies that operate on the Czech
market and are under state control. Such
agencies, however, cannot offset client
networks. This has been proven also by the
Ukrainian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

Solution of problems tied to Ukrainian
client system by the state must reflect
knowledge of sociologists, demographers
and ethno-psychologists. The current
sociology works with a coherent
sociological theory of the client system
(see e.g. J. Keller´s papers). The state
relevant bodies do not take, too large
extent, such knowledge into account.

The client relations originated in traditional
societies, however, due to their
effectiveness and adaptability these
relations did not disappear in modern and
post-modern societies. The client relations
are multistratified, full of positive and
negative aspects, since they are often
linked to challenging human and civic
rights of Ukrainian labour migrants.

A classical client system is tied to a sort of ethos that
springs from a religious climate in society. Its remnants
can be found even today. Decisive trends of this current
era is, however, secularization of client relations and
their concentration only upon searching for
acquaintances and influential friends. In traditional
societies the client system has a two-tier character – „a patron“ is directly surrounded by his clients.
Currently, this relation is more complicated. An important
role is played by so called „brokers“, that mediate
important pieces of information and contacts to a state
sector.

There are many processes in the current World
that support a development of a client system.
For example, a breakdown of the Soviet Union
and for a long-term applied „two-governemntal“
model in the first half of the 1990s in Ukraine;
an increase of the client system accompanies
breakdown of all empires. A shift from a classical
type of company (with a hierarchical structure)
to a network economy structure that is
considered much flexible now, contributes to an
increase of a client systém too.

The Czech legislative system as such cannot solve problems of the
Ukrainian client system as long as there is a self-organization of Ukrainian
labour migrants and their creation of relevant structures of civic society that
represent their interests in relation to the Czech, possibly, to the Ukrainian
state.
The Ukrainian migration community (legal along with illegal immigrants) is
probably the most numerous ethnic community in the Czech Republic.
Nevertheless, their interest in establishing their own organizations and
associations is, however, much smaller as compared to Romas in the Czech
Republic. Ukrainians-migrants in the Czech Republic and also, for example,
Ukrainians in Russia prefer, instead of stabile organizations, not stabile, not
formalized contacts with accidental compatriots. Making use of these
networks, for example, while searching for a job, is more risky for a migrant
than making use of their own diaspora.