The largest state-owned hotel company in Montenegro, the Hotel Group "Budvanska Riviera", has opened its doors for seasonal work for almost 600 workers.
Maid, head bellman, beach and pool coordinator, toll booth worker, elevator attendant, laundry warehouse assistant, outside chef, receptionist, cashier, electric food truck driver, baker, salesperson, hygiene supervisor, lifeguard, animator, warehouse worker, are just some of the occupations in the series of ads that were posted ahead of the weekend.
This officially opens the "hunt" for seasonal workers in Budva, one of the most sought-after professions, as the tourism industry needs almost 8.000 people for the upcoming summer.
Unfortunately, as the interviewees for "Vijesti" said, the interest of workers from Montenegro has been low for several summers, because most of them go to work in neighboring Croatia.
Hoteliers are facing great difficulties and procedures in order to employ workers from neighboring countries, but also from others, because last summer, not only citizens of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, but also Moldova, and even India worked in hotels, during the summer season and make up for the labor shortage.
As "Vijestimna" was told, all seasonal workers at the "Budvanska rivijera" holiday village are provided with accommodation and three meals.
"In anticipation of the upcoming tourist season, 'Budvanska rivijera' has advertised job vacancies. Every year we need 600 seasonal workers of various profiles. The website of the Employment Service of Montenegro has announced the need for workers in the positions of maids, waiters, bartenders, cooks, bakers, confectioners, kitchen assistants, servers, hygienists and others. For example, the hotel group needs about 120 maids, 50 hygienists, 50 waiters, 50 cooks... This is a very significant number of seasonal workers who have been in short supply for years and are becoming increasingly scarce on the Montenegrin labor market," the PR service states.
60 INDIANS WERE HIRED LAST YEAR
As they point out, they have taken additional measures to secure a workforce and found new sources of hiring seasonal workers from distant markets.
"Last year, Indians were hired for the first time in our company, about 60 of them, and we expect that number to be even higher this year. Visa applications have been completed and submitted, and we expect their arrival by April."
They remind us that they have continued with a large investment cycle, raising the category level of the largest tourist resort on our coast - "Slovenska plaža".
"After the renovation of the villas 'Maslina' and 'Ruzmarin' in 2022, the TN 'Slovenska plaža' is renovating four more villas this year: 'Limun', 'Magnolija', 'Kana' and 'Mirta'. The renovation will raise the standard of 334 accommodation units from three to four stars."
THE STATE NEEDS 20 THOUSAND WORKERS
President of the Budva Catering Association Aleksandar Laki Jovanovic points out that Montenegro needs around 19.000 to 20.000 seasonal workers in the accommodation and hospitality sector.
"As for Budva, the estimate is that there are around 7.000 to 8.000 seasonal workers. So it is still a pressing problem, not only for Montenegro but also for other tourist countries. The problem with Montenegro is that salaries, although increased, are still lower than our competitors. Unfortunately, our education system does not keep up with the needs of the labor market and we are forced to import labor from abroad," Jovanović pointed out for "Vijesti".
According to him, finding qualified labor will be a big problem this year as well.
"Legal solutions, slow administration and the inability to electronically register workers from abroad are not in our favor. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is responsible for this area, must be modernized, and Croatian legislation in this area can serve as an example."
MUNICIPALITIES BIGGEST COMPETITORS
President of the Hotel Association of Montenegro Nikola Pejovic states that the problem of seasonal labor is acute, and that it complicates the procedures for hiring labor from abroad, because the interest of domestic labor is low, and it cannot meet the needs of the hotel and restaurant industry.
Pejović, owner of the Budva hotel "Grbalj", points out that the biggest competitors in terms of labor have become municipalities and state and municipal enterprises.
"We have a situation where our waiters, cooks and other workers are moving to work in municipalities, municipal companies, such as utilities, water supply, and local or state administration, and we are left without a workforce. It is simply more attractive for them to work there, even though their salaries are much higher here. There they have, now it will be, seven-hour working hours, breaks, free weekends, holidays, winter allowances, vacation pay...", warns Pejović for "Vijesti".
He states that more and more Ukrainian citizens are interested in working during the season and all year round in hotels and restaurants.
LACK OF TRAINED AND QUALIFIED STAFF
And a Budva restaurateur, owner of the "Mozart" cafe in the Old Town, Luka Vuckovic confirms that the labor problem in Budva has been present for years:
"High salaries are not the solution either, because Montenegro simply does not have enough trained and qualified personnel for the needs of the tourism industry. During the season, at least 7.000 tourism workers are needed in our city alone."
According to him, the only solution is to work year-round and maintain a base of workers who will carry out the season with the help of seasonal workers.
Markets are also short of workers.
He confirms for "Vijesti" that the labor problem in Budva is also present in trade. Balša Mitrović, executive director of “Megapromet”, the largest retail chain in the tourist metropolis.
"Megapromet" manages a chain of ten supermarkets and, according to Mitrović, currently employs around 450 workers.
"Between 65 and 70 percent of employees have permanent contracts, or will soon be eligible for such an engagement. The labor force problem is a general problem of the economy, both from the aspect of quality and from the aspect of constantly growing employee costs. Unfortunately, recently the problem of the number of employees has also become more and more present, that is, a large shortage of workers. This problem is increasingly burdening the economy and trade because it is difficult to find workers, so workers have to be sought in foreign markets."
And bringing in workers from abroad, as Mitrović adds, is not at all simple due to procedures.
"For example, for a worker to obtain a work and residence permit, it takes at least 20-25 days, which can be even longer during the pre-season and season. Therefore, that worker cannot start working until he or she receives a residence and work permit. Another problem is the lack of workers on the domestic market and the impression is that there is a certain lack of interest in working in the economy. We hope that this will be simplified and accelerated, so that all other processes can be accelerated as well."
Jovanović promised communal order
Newly appointed Mayor Nikola Jovanovic He promised that this summer Budva would not look like what it was last year.
It was precisely the communal chaos, the dug-up streets, the piles of garbage, the dirty city, the poor work of the municipal services formally managed by the then president Milo Božović, that led to Budva having one of the worst prepared seasons.
Jovanović emphasized that one of the priorities is to sort out the communal chaos and prepare for the tourist season.
"Given that Budva is the most important tourist destination, by unblocking the work of the local administration, competent services and companies, we will create conditions for all capacities to be ready and engaged in the preparation and implementation of the tourist season. Immediately after the formation of the most important bodies, we will start coordinating our institutions, tourism workers and the economy, to prepare and implement the tourist season with joint forces. Meetings of coordination bodies will be the rule, not the exception. In the period leading up to the tourist season, we will adopt a Temporary Facilities Program, which will review the current situation on the ground and regulate the procedure for setting up temporary locations, with a special emphasis on the promenade and Old Town areas. Through increased controls by competent authorities and services, we will solve the problem of illegal setting up of temporary locations and suppress the gray economy in this area. Any attempt to devastate the space through illegal setting up and operating temporary facilities without a permit will be sanctioned."
Bonus video:
