The greatest demand in the Czech Republic is for Ukrainian labor
Recently we reported on a joint project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs called "Special Approach to Highly Qualified Employees from Ukraine." Let us recall that in accordance with this document, the Czech Republic is ready to help highly qualified employees from Ukraine obtain work permits in Czech companies through a simplified procedure.
Nevertheless, as Radio Prague notes, this condition does not apply to lower-skilled employees, who for now must submit applications to the Czech consulate under general conditions. It is these workers that the Czech Republic currently needs most. As is known, Ukraine is among those countries that have long experienced difficulties with the VisaPoint system.
Initially, the project was intended exclusively for highly qualified specialists from the IT field, software engineers, designers, systems analysts, specialists in various technological industries, and, for example, doctors. A Ukrainian employee could take a position in a Czech company provided that within 30 days the employer did not find a Czech citizen for that position.
However, half a year after the project's launch, it became clear that it in no way solves the problem of the shortage of workers in production. For example, Vyacheslav Samko, who came from Ukraine with his family and has two higher education degrees – law and chemistry – got a job in Cheb at a furniture factory. He is satisfied with his life in the Czech Republic: "My family likes it here. My daughter goes to school, has made friends there, and goes ice skating. My wife is also happy – there is a good shopping area nearby. Well, if the family is happy, then I am happy too," Vyacheslav shares his impressions.
According to the Confederation of Employers' and Entrepreneurs' Unions, the main problem in hiring foreign workers lies precisely in the time it takes to obtain a work permit in the Czech Republic. According to the Confederation's president Jan Wiesner, the waiting period can stretch to as long as six months, which is too long because if a company once turns down an order due to a lack of workers, other companies may take the order, and such an opportunity may not come again.
"Our entrepreneurs need labor because there are enough orders coming in that they cannot take due to a lack of personnel. Therefore, we need this issue, especially with Ukraine, to be resolved as soon as possible," says Jan Wiesner. "Many firms have already selected workers, and it is only necessary to provide them with the necessary documents quickly so they can start working in the Czech Republic."
In this regard, the Confederation plans to put pressure on the government to increase the staff of the Czech Republic's representative offices in Ukraine and the resources of the Ministry of the Interior so that more employees can process applications. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka noted that amendments to the project will be made: "The Ministry of Industry has already proposed certain corrections and simplifications. We have also decided to expand the staff of our representative offices in Ukraine, especially the consulate in Lviv, and the staff of the Ministry of the Interior so that more employees are involved in processing applications for the issuance of work cards," the prime minister commented on the situation.
Entrepreneurial unions point out that if it is not possible to bring workers from abroad to the Czech Republic quickly, this could mean a loss of orders, which in turn could cause a deterioration of the economic situation in most sectors of the Czech Republic.
By the way
SPECIALISTS IN SHORT SUPPLY WILL BE PAID MORE
For two years now, the Czech Republic has seen wage growth for workers in rare professions. These today include, for example, carpenters, milling machine operators, and truck drivers. For the first two professions, earnings have increased by 10%, and for long-haul drivers – by 14.5%.
There is a constant shortage of employees in call centers or sales representatives. Currently, the average salary of the latter before tax deductions is about 27,000 crowns (1,000 euros). In this case, there is also a ten percent increase.
The retail sector has been suffering the most recently. For example, there is a shortage of ordinary salespeople. But in this case, management is not in a hurry to raise salaries. In 24 months, rates have increased only by 4.3% and lag behind the national average salary by 50%. In the case of section managers, however, the situation is different – here there is an increase of 9%.
Currently, unemployment in the Czech Republic is 415,000 people. However, firms cannot find enough plumbers, welders, mechanics, electricians, drivers, or weavers. And the lack of qualified workers in technical professions prevents enterprises from expanding production, even though the flow of orders is increasing.