"Social dumping" is a term (with a negative connotation) that is used to describe a temporary or transitory movement of labour, whereby employers use workers from one country or area in another country or area where the cost of labour is usually more expensive, thus saving money and potentially increasing profit.
It was also used as mass retrenchment tool or excuse to downsize by big factories during great depression in Europe. It generally led to either loss of employment or severe loss of pay to workers
There is a controversy around whether Social Dumping takes advantage of an EU directive on internal markets: the Bolkestein directive.
In the UK, circa February 2009, this is an issue that has become a political ‘hot potato’.