With labour shortage remaining one of the leading challenges in the Croatian tourism industry, tourism employers have already begun searching for potential workers for the upcoming season
Lack of workers has been a major cause of headache for tourism employers in recent years: in 2017, trade unions have claimed that Croatia’s tourism sector needed at least 3.000 more workers. Considering a substantial part of the Croatian workforce is leaving for the likes of Germany and Ireland, with those remaining in Croatia calling for bigger wages in tourism, employers have started to look abroad to fulfill their quota on time.
Leading Croatian tourism players are currently looking for workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Judging by the number of job listings posted on various websites and social networks, Croatian tourism employers are not taking any chances this year, reports Glas Srpske on February 17, 2018.
Representatives of a certain Croatian tourism company have recently visited the city of Banja Luka, where they talked with potential employees. The lowest monthly salary offered by the company amounts to 1.000 euro – an attractive sum, considering the average net salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina currently equals some 430 euro (862 KM), with the average net salary for providers of accommodation and hospitality services being even lower at around 265 euro (544 KM).
One of the interested potential workers was a 50-year-old resident of Banja Luka who is looking for work as a maid. “I’ve been running a bar in Banja Luka for years, but I’m barely breaking even, so I decided to head to the Adriatic coast for the summer to make some money”, the woman said.
The ad says the company is looking for waiters, chefs, and cleaning staff for their hotels and camps in Poreč, Rabac, Dubrovnik, Krk and Rab. Judging by the locations, it’s likely the company in question is Valamar Riviera, who recently announced they’ll be employing some 600 seasonal workers this year.
Željko Tatić, the president of the Association of Hospitality and Tourism Workers of Banja Luka, said he had been contacted by dozens of Croatian tourism employers who are providing their workers with free accommodation and meals. According to Tatić, the Croatian tourism industry will employ between 2.500 and 3.000 residents of Republika Srpska, one of the two entities which make up Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina stated they are still unable to estimate how many workers from BiH will find employment on the Croatian coast this summer, as the bilateral agreement regarding seasonal workers in tourism still hasn’t been signed. “Croatian employers keep contacting us regarding seasonal workers from BiH, but we cannot do anything yet, as we still don’t have the legal framework”, stated the agency.
