1 week ago
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Greece is undergoing a work situation with 300,000 occupation vacancies and galore overseas workers leaving illegally astatine nighttime successful hunt of amended opportunities successful different European countries, with the effect acceptable to person a vast interaction successful tourism-related areas.
The tourist play commences with 85,000 occupation openings, implicit 100,000 workers missing from construction, much than 70,000 successful agriculture, and implicit 50,000 successful the industry, arsenic reported successful Proto Thema.
The numbers adhd up to astir 300,000 occupation vacancies this year, a large interest for Greek entrepreneurs, with six retired of ten overseas workers (mostly from processing countries) leaving illegally astatine nighttime for Italy, Germany, Spain and different European countries successful hunt of amended wages and benefits.
In construction, firms person taken connected projects worth €20 cardinal and are seeking an further 55,000 workers implicit the years 2024-2025 and a total of 250,000 employees, with a absorption connected skilled engineers and technicians to conscionable task demands without delays.
Currently, there is simply a sizeable shortage of welders, plumbers, carpenters, and dense machinery operators.
There is simply a deficiency of warehouse workers, packers, forklift operators, and successful tourism and hospitality, there is simply a request for housekeepers, chefs, spa therapists, and beforehand bureau staff, while technology companies are besides aggressively hunting for programmers and different highly qualified specialists.
George Hotzoglou, president of the Hellenic Federation of Tourism and Hospitality, stated that applications for staff re-hiring are down by 10% compared to past year, suggesting they will look superior staff shortages again.
He identified a main origin being the agelong hours and poorly paid positions.
“Seasonal workers work without breaks for 15 hours a day. Housekeepers are hard to find, often leaving astatine nighttime due to the fact that edifice owners request that they cleanable 25 rooms during their work hours owed to staff shortages,” Hotzoglou said.
He noted that the implementation of the integer work card, which has officially begun, will connection some extortion regarding work hours, including recognising other hours connected weekends, holidays, and nights.
“We mightiness suddenly see, under the menace of fines, galore much overtime hours being reported that are presently hidden,” Hotzoglou said.
“However, contempt these affirmative measures, workers still garbage to work. They similar to take jobs arsenic transportation drivers oregon supermarket employees. They want amended conditions and pay.”
Worker migration from processing nations approved by the authorities this year stands astatine 89,000, with those from ineligible channels hailing from countries similar India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nepal and Egypt.
There are a fig of workers, however, that whitethorn participate illegally with ample operation sites successful peculiar employing galore from Africa, emphasizing the request for projects to proceed.
There is an added hurdle that the exertion process takes too long, meaning that by the clip radical are acceptable to work (usually August oregon September) the tourism play is practically finished.
The full process—from requests recorded connected the unified database for migrations to the embassies and consulates issuing visas—often takes six months, with different period needed for a Tax Identification Number (AFM) and the Social Security Number (AMKA) to beryllium issued so that a overseas worker tin start working.
Grigoris Tasiou, president of the Hellenic Hotel Association, stressed readying needs to person a longer-term strategy.
“This year is simply a mislaid origin erstwhile again. We should beryllium preparing lists for migrant workers for 2026, not searching for workers for this summer,” helium said, noting that a level needs to beryllium implemented well successful beforehand of the tourism play that documents unit needs.
Tasiou added that embassies and consulates “should beryllium staffed adequately to expedite visa approvals and much bilateral agreements should beryllium signed”.
The improvement of galore workers leaving soon aft arriving to different European countries is reported to beryllium based connected a fig of factors, chiefly that having to screen basal provisions (food and housing) takes up too overmuch of their wage.
People within the Ministry of Migration and Asylum item that a legislative inaugural is σύντομα to beryllium promoted to simplify and digitize the processes for issuing AFM and AMKA for foreigners, and, successful collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bolster embassies with staff to relieve their workload.
Evangelos Kanellopoulos, CEO of WorkInGreece.io—a level that helps span the spread betwixt workers from third countries and businesses—identified the three biggest barriers successful the migration process.
Two, arsenic mentioned earlier, notation to the lengthy migration process which takes 4 to six months, and the surviving and travel expenses that marque it hard for the workers to prevention capable (which is why galore opt to permission illegally to different countries).
The different obstruction helium noted is the precocious rejection rates arsenic adjacent afloat qualified candidates with certifications and acquisition are rejected by Greek embassies astatine rates ranging from 40% to 80%, creating insecurity and vexation among candidates and Greek businesses.
“Greece tin go a model,” Kanellopoulos said, believing structural betterment and practice among each stakeholders is cardinal to creating a functional, effectual system.
“Our state has the imaginable to germinate into an planetary exemplary for sustainable and just absorption of labour migration. However, this will lone hap if we determination decisively, targeted, and successful coordination.”
Source: Proto Thema
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