Last week, the Minister of family, labour and social policy of Poland Elzhbeta Rafalski said that in Poland there are not enough workers, so the country will be carried out measures to attract workers from the Eastern Europe and in particular from Ukraine. She noted that the Ministry of development is now working on proposals for immigrants from the East arriving to work and live in RP. Namely, the interagency group that includes representatives of the ministries of development, family and domestic Affairs is preparing changes to immigration legislation, according to which Ukrainians will be given visa for a longer period of time. In addition, the Polish government intends to encourage young Ukrainians to receive documents for a permanent residence and Polish citizenship.
As assured the Deputy Minister of development of Poland Jerzy Kwiecinski, this policy must become an “effective prescription from the demographic crisis in Poland.”
Instead of immigrants
The fact that Poland is in dire need of inflow of labor statistics. The unemployment rate in the country in 2016, was the lowest in a quarter century and one of the lowest in Europe — only 8%. That is, almost all citizens of Poland have a job. While millions of poles went in search of a better life in other European countries, particularly in England. That’s not enough in Poland workers.
In the end, if you believe the Polish Ministry for family Affairs, labour and social policy, just last year, the Polish company expressed a desire to hire a record 1.3 million workers from the East (what the bulk of them from Ukraine) involved, in particular for seasonal work. It’s about two-thirds more than in 2015.
According to the Ministry, last year was a record number of work permits: officials have issued more than 123 thousand documents, which is almost two times more than last year. 83% of permits issued to Ukrainians.
“The demand for foreign workers increased by tens of thousands of people — in construction, transport and manufacturing. More than twice the demand in the sphere of public catering and hotel business”, — said the Polish resource tvn24bis.pl.
“The number of Ukrainians going to work in Poland, undoubtedly grows. And, for the last year has been a noticeable trend away to work as a family — a husband and wife,” — said “Apostrophe” Manager of one of the Chernivtsi employment agencies.
According to her, the reasons that force Ukrainians to seek work abroad, the obvious — reducing, economic crisis, lack of money, and for former residents of the ATO zone is still a war.
However, to say that Poland is involved in charity work, taking our jobs, it is also impossible. Even Polish officials do not hide that thanks to cheap labor force from Ukraine, the country raises its economy.
In addition, the Ukrainians play a role in the internal politics of Poland. The influx of Ukrainian migrants gives rise to the Polish authorities to reasonably refuse to accept other refugees — those of the Syrians and others, the problem with which today forced to deal with the countries of Western Europe.
What to expect
As in Ukraine, salaries in Poland depend on the qualification of the staff, but they initially about three times higher than in Ukraine in the same positions. For example, the seller in a well-known supermarket Carrefour in Poland offer of 14 thousand UAH in Ukraine — 4 thousand UAH per month, working in the warehouse — 23 thousand UAH in Ukraine is 7 thousand UAH. Unskilled workers in our country receive about 6 thousand UAH per month in Poland — from $ 3 per hour, generally from 13.5 thousand.
“The first category of Ukrainian migrant workers — that is, low-skilled staff — receives almost minimum wage. This year she is 2 thousand PLN (460€) and 1,5 thousand zlotys (about 336 euros) — after taxes. In this case, we emphasize that recently in Poland adopted the law, according to which the minimum wage labor of immigrant and pole must be the same, says Waligorski. — Over time, if the Ukrainians continue to work and place of work, and wages have increased. For example, if you work in Poland for a year, you can count on a salary of 700 euros”.
Thus, according to him, the average salary in the whole Poland — 4 thousand PLN, that is, slightly less than 1 thousand euros. In Warsaw, it is slightly higher. For example, a middle Manager receives capital from 4 thousand to 6 thousand zlotys.
Salaries in the IT field also begins from 4 thousand zlotys, and the most experienced up to 10 thousand
Well, according to Belogorskogo earn narrow specialists. For example, the salary good welder can reach 3-5 thousand PLN. And if he passes the trial period, you can go to work in Germany.
As an example, he cited a construction company which builds shopping centers in Poland. She had a situation where she could not find a qualified welder because they all worked in Germany. The company had to offer a salary three times higher to lure specialists from Germany.
You must also not forget that the majority of Ukrainians come to Poland to make, so save on almost everything. And this despite the fact that often asked to give change for 8, 10 or even 12 hours. Therefore, some workers prefer to settle in those companies that pay for homes. Others rent a room or the whole house in which they live for six or more people. Sometimes it even happens that in the same bed in shifts sleep two workers — one working his shift, the other is resting and Vice versa.
A place in the room costs the Ukrainians from 400 to 500 zlotys a month. In a small town for 600-700 PLN can be removed one-bedroom apartment. If you talk about Katowice (industrial center), the apartment costs between 800-1000 zlotys in Warsaw 1300-1500. About 400-500 PLN cost of utilities.
The way to Poland
There are several ways in which the Ukrainians come to work in Poland. The first and most common is finding work through recruitment companies. Since the treatment in such companies through to the person on the job usually takes about two months. That is, if a person has not opened a visa and open — one or two weeks. Recruiters help the Ukrainians to execute documents and to obtain in the mayor’s office permission to work in Poland, according to which an employment visa for six months. It is important that on this visa you can work only in Poland, despite the fact that this country is an EU member.
Customer recruitment companies are often large and even well-known companies that need workers. According to Tatyana Pushkinoj, HR-expert portal rabota.ua mostly construction workers, drivers, plant workers, couriers, porters. Women are often offered jobs as a seamstress, a housemaid.
On such a vacancy, recruiters sometimes hire people from teams.
“In Poland very much in demand for unskilled, low-paying jobs. So many Ukrainians go there and work for minimal. As a rule, such workers are hired the Agency,” confirmed “Apostrophe” Vladimir Waligorski, regional Director of digital-Agency SvitSoft, which works on Ukrainian and Polish markets.
He also noted that the Ukrainian market is still working unscrupulous recruiters who charge workers a fee, while in Europe it’s not customary (sometimes paying for the manpower, work throughout the year, guests are charged 20% of salary in favour of the Agency), or promise to work, and the place it is not.
Indeed, according to the study by OTTO, 60% of Ukrainians have paid for the opportunity to work in Poland. And according to estimates of the Ministry of labour of Poland, 20% of Ukrainians working in the country illegally.
At the same time, Pashkina reported that since January, the Polish government has required employers to register all job applications in the local territorial offices. Thus, the availability of jobs in the enterprise you can always check.
“This will increase the responsibility of intermediaries as well as employers who have sold work permits, and in fact it has not. However, such cases are rather the exception than the rule,” — said the expert.
Note also that the Ukrainians who want to earn extra money, often come to Poland thanks to numerous friends and relatives.
“The Western region go to work to Poland just with a wallet. They have there godfather, brother, friend,” says Pashkina.
Less likely to find a job in Poland are highly qualified specialists. However, in this case, there are exceptions. For example, Polish companies are in dire need of IT-schnick, and narrowly focused specialists. They are looking for through a recruitment company or through online services to find work.
“Also a large part of the labour migration to Poland — this is it-professionals or specialists from the field that require special knowledge. They have immediately high salary,” — said Valigorsky.
Another way to start working in Poland — to go there to learn. Over the past three years the number of Ukrainian students in this country has quadrupled. Many of them are Ukrainians.
“The fact that the cost of education we have in Poland equaled. Plus there are discount places where you can learn for free, if you have a Polish card or Polish roots. At such places you can even get a scholarship. In addition, Polish universities, as well as European institutions offer students many grants for education,” explains Waligorski.
In the end, he said, many students enroll in Polish universities and begin to work. This is the immigrants with knowledge of the Polish language and education. So they quietly find a job in various fields.
