This year, in agreement with the social partners, Valamar is raising salaries for professional occupations in hotels, camps, and resorts to bring income in Croatia closer to the income level in leading European destinations, the company said in a statement on Jutarnji List.
In addition to salary increases, several initiatives have been launched to improve working conditions in tourism to adapt Valamar’s business to new trends and needs.
Salaries for professions, including chefs, waiters, specialist housekeepers, and receptionists at Valamar, are rising by an average of 14 percent, and their income this season will amount to 1,000 to 1,600 euros net per month. Furthermore, the Valamar guarantee, a guarantee of minimum net income for maids, assistant chefs, assistant waiters, kitchen workers, waiters, and many others, will be increased to a monthly amount of 750 to 1,100 euros net. In addition to raising basic salaries, it continues with the programs of rewarding excellence. Last year, employees were paid awards under the program “13th and 14th salaries” of up to HRK 11,300 net, depending on how long and successfully they worked.
Additional programs have been created for this season, aiming to improve employee satisfaction and attitude towards work. The “Flexi job” program provides employees in hotels, camps, and resorts with two days off a week, allows them to work in one shift, and adjust work obligations to the needs of employees, all to better balance private and business life. In addition to quality accommodation and food for all employees who come to work from other parts of Croatia, the “Living Destination” program offers employees discounts at more than three hundred outlets. In addition, they can use destination entertainment such as excursions or sports activities to get to know the destination and spend quality and fun time outside of working hours.
“We are glad that our social partners have strongly supported Valamar’s significant steps in terms of increasing salaries and further improving the working conditions of employees. All of us aim to retain employees in tourism through quality and long-term work and ensure incomes that are close to those in leading European destinations,” said Ines Damjanić Šturman, Vice President of Human Resources at Valamar Riviera.
Valamar operates in eight destinations in Croatia from Istria to Dubrovnik and employs more than 7,000 people. This year, to ensure quality and long-term work in tourism, they will continue to increase the number of employees who will have year-round work and income. At the end of the tourist season, Valamar plans to offer an additional 400 indefinitely and 1,000 contracts for permanent seasons. Also, due to the expansion of business to winter destinations, employees will be provided jobs in hotels at ski resorts in Austria during the winter.
Eduard Andrić, President of the Trade Union of Tourism and Services of Croatia, stated that the Trade Union of Tourism and Services of Croatia initiates and supports all Valamar activities aimed at improving the material status of all workers by increasing wages and thus job security of domicile and seasonal workers.
Valamar will continue with the award programs this year, including new members of the Valamar team who will join the company. Vacancies are already open, and anyone interested in working at Valamar can apply via the link.
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