LITHUANIA: Slovak builders profit by Lithuanian labour shortage

Lithuania has taken to importing Slovak workers to deal with a lack of labour in the construction industry. The construction industry has become a booming sector of Lithuania's economy, but acute labour shortages are forcing building companies to look abroad for man power. Gintautas Vaitiekunas, the director of Vilnius based building company Dlg Pletra, has turned to the international labour market and hired workers from fellow European Union member nation, Slovakia. Vaitiekunas has had two teams of Slovak builders on his sites since June, and says the company is in the process of recruiting more workers. "We invited 12 builders from Slovakia here because our company, like all building companies in Lithuania, has a shortage of workers. We are very satisfied with the quality of the Slovak builders' work, because they work faster, more efficiently and with better results than Lithuanian workers. We plan to invite a further forty builders from Slovakia before the end of this year," Vaitiekunas said. Lithuania has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European Union. According to the country's Statistics Department Lithuania's unemployment rate is just over four percent, while Slovakia at almost 11 percent has one of the highest. The average in the EU is seven percent. "We came to Lithuania because we found good jobs and good salaries here. It is difficult to find similar work in my homeland," said Josef Benus, the foreman for the Slovak builders on one of Dlg Pletra's building sites. Another positive for the Slovak workers is that they do not have to overcome difficult language barriers in Lithuania. "We also have no problems with the language here," Benus said. Benus and his colleagues came to Lithuania from the small Slovak city of Namestovo, near the Polish border. They were attracted by average salaries off up to 2,000 euros per month. "I have a good salary here, which is difficult to get in my country. I would like to stay here for a year or two, until I earn enough money for a house. But after that, I would like to go home," said Michal Vrab, another builder from Slovakia. Real estate prices are rocketing in Lithuania, and the country's entry into the EU has prompted many Lithuanian builders to look elsewhere for work. An estimated 10,000 workers -- most of whom have headed for construction sites in the UK and Ireland, have left since 2004 - contributing to the labour shortage. Monika Vysniauskiene, from the Lithuanian Labour Exchange, said twice as many work permits have been issued to foreign builders in 2007 compared to the previous year. Labour economist Boguslavas Gruzevskis says Lithuania's immigration process is particularly successful. "A superior aspect is that all foreigners must get work permits and as a result, the process is under control. It limits the illegal labour force and has a positive influence on the construction industry, as well as society as a whole," he said. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

ITN Source | October 10, 2007

Tags:. .union. .percent. .foreigners. .profit. .similar