Czech companies asking government to facilitate employment of workers from Serbia

Czech companies and the Chamber of Commerce have asked the Czech government to start a project of facilitated employment of workers from Serbia, in the same manner as the arrival of Ukrainian workers was facilitated a year ago, as qualified, experienced and good workers could be found in Serbia, whereas the unemployment in the country was high.

– Until recently, the automotive industry functioned well in Serbia, leaving behind 30,000 qualified workers, and their knowledge could be used by Czech companies – Miroslav Mylbek, member of the Czech Chamber of Commerce, said at a press conference.

A year ago, at the appeal of the business sector, which claimed that it lacked 140,000 (now 180,000) workers, the Czech government initiated a pilot project of facilitated issuing of employment and residence permits to the Ukrainians.

The Chamber of Commerce now asks for the project to be expanded to the countries close to the Czech Republic in terms of language and culture, where the language barrier would not be big, and it is interested, as are Czech companies, in workers from Serbia primarily.

– Companies are facing problems which will affect the entirety of the Czech economy. They have contracted jobs, but not people who would work on them. The qualifications of people at the employment service do not suit the needs of the companies and people also avoid getting employed. Companies therefore opt for hiring foreigners, even those with only trade skills, regardless of the fact that it costs more for them to find a worker in Ukraine, transfer the worker to the Czech Republic and pay for the accommodation and the translation services – said the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Vladimir Dlouhy.

The Czech Chamber of Commerce, through which more than 80% of companies' requests for workers from Ukraine pass, has brought 6,404 workers from the country within the Czech government's project in a year.

The Czech government and the Chamber of Commerce deny the accusations of Czech unions that companies employ foreign workers because they care primarily about getting cheap workforce. The Chamber of Commerce reminds that foreigners can be offered jobs only after a month of being unable of finding a Czech worker.

The unions in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia, however, claim that companies might find workers at home if they were to offer higher salaries.

Vlada Češke Republike

Czech Chamber of Commerce

Czech government

facilitated employment of workers from Serbia in the Czech Republic

facilitated employment

Miroslav Mylbek

Vladimir Dlouhy