Ukrainians can no longer satisfy the Polish market's demand for labor
However, as representatives of the construction industry report, arrivals from across Poland's eastern border are no longer able to meet the demand for labor. As Polskie Radio notes, the shortage of workers affects not only construction but also transport, catering, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Ukrainians increasingly view Poland as a transit point. According to Yuriy Karyagin, head of the Trade Union of Ukrainians in Poland, Polish employers must create favorable conditions so that Ukrainian citizens do not move further west. This includes, for example, the practice of printing contracts in two languages so that Ukrainians understand what they are signing, as well as conducting training for new employees. In Yuriy Karyagin's opinion, there should be information points for Ukrainians in every voivodeship of the country.
The head of the Trade Union of Ukrainians in Poland also noted that Polish employers are not always honest with arrivals: there are complaints about non-payment of wages. In 2017 alone, Yuriy Karyagin's organization helped secure the payment of 300,000 zlotys in amounts due to workers.
At the same time, the structure of foreign employment in Poland is changing. According to Deputy Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy Stanisław Szwed, while a few years ago the vast majority of foreign nationals came to Poland to work in agriculture, today the level of foreign employment in the agricultural sector is declining.
"In 2010, 61% of declarations of intent to employ a foreigner were registered in agriculture; in 2015, such declarations accounted for 35%, and last year only 17%. A clear decline in the level of employment of foreign workers in agriculture in Poland is visible. Currently, employment growth is observed in construction, catering, transport, and household services," he said.
In addition to Ukrainian citizens, the largest group of foreign workers on the Polish labor market, more and more citizens from Belarus, Nepal, India, Moldova, and Bangladesh are arriving. Analysts at the National Bank of Poland believe that the employment rate of Ukrainians in the Polish labor market is 4%. According to the Ministry of Social Policy, the share of foreigners is between 2.5% and 5%.
Recall that since January 2018, new rules for seasonal employment of foreign nationals have come into effect in Poland. Declarations of intent to employ have been replaced by permits for seasonal work. Based on the permits, a foreigner can work in Poland for up to 9 months in a calendar year. The new rules were introduced to adapt Polish legislation to new EU norms. The new procedure applies to the following sectors: agriculture, horticulture, tourism, and catering.
In turn, Polish employers are demanding simplification of the procedure for employing foreigners. As expert Grzegorz Tokarski emphasizes, the new rules do not simplify the procedure for hiring foreigners, while demand for them remains huge.