A survey of large industrial companies in the Czech republic on migrant labour conducted by the Confederation of Industry, shows companies are ready to hire more than 5,000 refugees, especially in technical professions.
The survey is published in the same week that France’s Front National party leader Marine Le Pen questioned the motives of those such as Germany looking to allow migrants into Europe, saying:
“Germany probably thinks its population is moribund, and it is probably seeking to lower wages and continue to recruit slaves through mass immigration,”
The Czech News Agency (ČTK) reports Czech firms prefer foreigners with technical education, a good command of English and the readiness to undergo retraining. Employers and personnel agencies talking to ČTK said that language barriers and lengthy work visa processes are the main obstacles to hiring migrant labour.
That said, according to some estimates, 100,000 to 200,000 more workers are needed in the Czech Republic and Confederation spokesman Milan Mostyn believes 5,000 is just the tip of the iceberg – “we assume that the demand for refugees may be many times higher.”
Another corporate body head, Karel Havlicek of the Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Crafts, said certain technical professions have needed more skilled workers for some time. As a result businesses are ready to employ any skilled worker and most of them already use migrant labour.
Havlicek explained that immigrants are usually very good workers because they do not want to lose their jobs. Nor it is just a question of skilled labour, he believes refugees with professions such as a doctor or a technical engineer would also find employment.
Zbyněk Frolík, co-owner of global hospital beds supplier Linet, also believes migrant labour offers advantages, especially when doing business with Arab countries.
The sorts of industries believed to be suited to migrant labour across Europe include agriculture, construction, maintenance, cleaning and production line assembly. Those with meaningful qualifications can also get jobs in IT, finance and engineering.
ČTK reports that recruitment companies in the Czech Republic identify problems with migrant labour including the Czech language and Latin alphabet, the long asylum process, accommodation, high employee turnover, and cultural and social barriers such as “clashes” between Czech and Arab work cultures.
For its part, keen to press on and hire, the Confederation of Industry will meet with the Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Michaela Marksova,to discuss solutions such as the establishment of a dedicated refugee retraining agency.