Alla Goroshko from Kremenchug, Poltava region returned from Poland to Ukraine on 26 January to redo the visa. After a week at home, her father died. Alla was able to collect the documents and addressed to the visa application centre only March 14 — just a day before the closure of the Polish borders. March 19, she received a visa and now just waiting to get back to work.
The woman says that prior to that worked for two years on a work visa of type “D”, so-called provincial invitation in the Polish city of Katowice. In a dry shop in the food warehouse, she was engaged in picking orders from stores. Per hour Alla was getting 19-20 zlotys, and in compliance with standards on a par with men, in an average month earned $ 700-800.
“With his girlfriend in rented accommodation. But if we now return to Poland, not to live in the apartment until I pass quarantine, — says Alla. But the hostels were forced to stop work, rent out their premises under quarantine at the expense of migrant workers (guest workers — approx. ed.). The owners of this “housing” bring products on the list that we compiled. Also, the owners served a list to the police, and twice a week the law enforcement come and check compliance with the quarantine. There is also a mobile application “Quarantine house” — there frequently come the task: to make a video of two minutes and go to the window, and the like. Thus, the police checks the compliance with the quarantine.”
The employer has already found the woman method to get to work directly from the city with direct links and a place to pass quarantine. So Alla, where there is now a job, waiting to pack up and leave. And to stay at home she doesn’t want.
“If the Ukrainian authorities decide not to release people abroad, I think that the Ukrainian people silently to swallow can’t. I agree to participate in the protests. I’m not going to wait for me for 6 thousand hryvnia pushed on to the site. I have a 13-year-old son, to whom I pay tuition in the computer Academy, a year it costs 12 thousand hryvnia. If I work on 6-8 thousand, I will not be able to provide the child with such training. The minimum wage should be at least 10 thousand hryvnia,” — said Alla.
She recalls that two years ago he worked as a cashier at the store. Received 6 thousand — at the time a lot of money, he says — but he worked 5 days 16 hours.
“I realized that working in Poland, I can earn more with less effort,” says the woman.
“To work in Finland, first went back in 2006. Now, while I was working as a medic. He received a salary of 96 USD. The child I raised myself, therefore, to put him to school was difficult. I borrowed $ 500, paid the firm, took a leave of absence for their own account and for two months went to Finland to collect the strawberries” — says the nurse in the cardiology Department Natalia King of Uman, Cherkasy region.
Since then, the woman went every year to such seasonal work, saving pennies for the trip. Now she gets 4 thousand hryvnias, but for the money, do not agree to be without their two-month gig. The situation is complicated by the fact that her daughter is finishing the 11th grade and will go to College.
Kiev said that Ukraine will release first only 1.5 thousand people. But seasonal workers will be let go as many as required by the country of the employer. The Finns counted on the Ukrainians, so now employers are the lists and transmit them to the Ukraine and Belarus. Ukrainians go to Minsk, and from there try to fly to Finland on Charter flights, however, if a person is not in the list, it will not be allowed on the plane, the woman said.
“Friends to go, but of the 56 people went just 26 — of the remaining wrapped. The guards decide to pass or not,” she adds.
“In Finland, give you a basket and pick berries. The operation time depends on order, which is received by the employer. Could work until two in the afternoon, and could and until 10 PM or until midnight — there are white nights. Had to work in the rain and in the heat. But there is no control, whether you eat the berries you can eat, as you like. But pay production — the more you collect, the more you earn. Typically, farmers give workers houses with kitchen, bathroom and sauna,” says Natalia.
“There are completely different people, all on trust. Bike you can leave wherever you want — no one will. Come back and see 80-year-old grandmother, which krutetskii the car arrives in the shop. We even have young people unable to afford it. There are socially secured population — we, unfortunately, do not. There is a completely different life,” says the woman.
In Uman patients covid-19 a little, but also bring patients from areas. However, the information that doctors provided with means of protection, not true, says Natalia.
“We have no protection at all. Issued disposable gloves, the validity of which has expired. Wear ‘ em and they crawl on the hands. Instead of masks we were given gauze and told sew themselves”, — complains a woman.
“6-8 thousand for workers offered by the state, is more than my current salary. But in Finland I can earn, say, 30 thousand hryvnias. Besides, I doubt that the government will do it. Everything that officials tell you on TV, can be divided into two,” says Natalia.
“I don’t know how to get out if I don’t go to work. Of course, if the doctors made a decent salary, you don’t have to go to toil, because I don’t remember when I had a vacation. In a serious season in Finland work without any output. In our hospital, almost all doctors — middle-aged, and in Uman 70 percent among doctors — pensioners. Young people go to Kiev or looking for private clinics or if you can open private offices. Many passed the exams and went to work as doctors in Poland or Germany. Because the young pair, if both medics to survive on such a salary is unrealistic,” adds the woman.
