In the survey, 41% of Czechs spoke favorably of foreigners as workers
In recent years, the problem of labor shortages has also seriously worried industrial enterprises in the Czech Republic, and they are not the only ones facing a shortage of hands. As Radio Prague notes, companies currently lack 342,000 workers. Industry associations have managed to convince the Czech government of the need to attract foreign labor to the country. However, for example, the plan to double the number of work permits for Ukrainians, as the survey showed, is opposed by more than 57% of the population, with only a quarter of respondents supporting it.
– Did the initiators of the study strive to cover the broader issue of employment?
– In my opinion, yes, as respondents were also asked questions such as "Are foreigners, in your opinion, good workers compared to Czechs?" and "Does it bother you when you are served by foreigners in a store or restaurant?" Answering the first question, 41% of Czechs gave a flattering assessment of foreigners as workers: nearly 30% of citizens said that foreigners work the same as Czechs, and 11% even consider foreigners more hardworking and diligent than their compatriots. 14.5% said that foreigners work worse, 44.5% found it difficult to answer this question.
– Does the presence of foreigners as service staff at the checkout or in cafes bother Czechs?
– One could say that a fairly high level of ethnic tolerance was found here. Overall, almost 87% of survey participants have nothing against being served by foreigners. 38.9% said it "does not bother them at all," 48% said it "rather does not bother them," while such a situation "does not suit" 2.7% and "rather does not suit" 10.4%. Incidentally, almost 70% of respondents do not consider Slovaks foreigners – some respondents were citizens of Czechoslovakia until 1993, when the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which parted amicably.
– For a general idea, how many foreigners from EU countries and third countries are employed in the Czech Republic?
– According to current data, a total of 568,700 workers are employed in various sectors of production and services on the Czech market. Among them, EU citizens predominate – 64%, the remaining 36% came from third countries. Slovakia leads in the number of workers in the EU list, with the figure approaching 192,000. After Slovaks, whom Czechs consider their closest and dearest neighbors, Poles follow with a large gap – almost 44,900 people. Romanians are not far behind – 44,099. There are 34,500 Bulgarians and over 18,000 Hungarians working in the Czech Republic.
In the ranking of third countries, Ukrainians are in first place – over 121,000, in second place are Russians, again with a large gap – almost 14,600, Vietnamese – 12,500, citizens of Mongolia 5,600 and Moldova 4,500.
– How was the question regarding the issuance of permits to Ukrainians phrased in the questionnaire?
– It was formulated quite clearly to avoid a situation where respondents might be uninformed about the authorities' proposal: "The government intends to double the number of work permits for Ukrainians to 40,000 per year. Do you consider this the right step?"
More than 29% answered "rather no," almost 28% expressed complete certainty that this is the wrong measure. Unconditional support for the plan was expressed by 5.5%. 19% rather approved of this program, 18% could not answer the question.
– According to the plan, should Ukrainians accepted for work in the Czech Republic be guaranteed a salary higher than that guaranteed to Czechs?
– At the government level, the possibility of providing invited Ukrainian workers with an increased minimum guaranteed salary (by 20%) is being discussed to prevent abuses of turning foreigners into cheap labor. However, the Economic Chamber and trade union organizations of the Czech Republic spoke out against it, as did part of the opposition.
The Union of Industry supported the proposal, which should also prevent foreign employees from being poached during the probationary period by competitors, when the employee has the right to terminate the contract at will. Many employers were critical of it. The head of the construction company Start, Vlastimil Zelený, considers providing guarantees in the area of salary increases of 20% unjustified: "It will be difficult for us to explain to Czech employees the introduction of such privileges for foreigners. We hire and evaluate the work of Ukrainian colleagues the same as the work of Czech citizens."
– Was this issue of raising the guaranteed salary level also included in the STEM/MARK survey?
– Yes, but it concerned absolutely all foreign workers, not just Ukrainians. The amount of the increased salary was not specified in this public opinion study either. According to the survey, for 72.7% of Czechs, an automatic increase in the salary level for employees from abroad is unacceptable. 22.7% would not mind if they, as Czech workers, do not find themselves at a disadvantage. 3.7% approved the idea: "Yes, we agree provided that this helps solve the problem of labor shortages."