The Domino Effect

Poland's plan to give temporary work visas to workers from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus may be backfiring as many foreigners who receive the visas leave Poland for other EU countries once they have crossed the border.

Since July 20, work permits for people from these three countries are significantly simpler to receive. The procedure simply requires a Polish employer to file documents with a local labour office and send an invitation to a foreign worker he wishes to hire. The foreign worker then is granted a three-month visa.The problem is that once the worker is in Poland he or she disappears - more than likely to another EU country where wages, even for undocumented workers, are significantly higher.In the Ukranian city of Lwow, the Polish Consulate has granted over 5,000 temporary work visas. Most of the recipients, however, have not shown up to work for the employers that filed the paperwork for them.At the start of 2008, all border controls between EU countries will be removed, which will likely exacerbate the problem.

This may put a wrench into Poland's plan to host the Euro 2012 football championships. Poland must build several thousand kilometers of roads, hundreds of hotels and stadiums for the championships, but the construction sector reports that it faces a shortage of about 400,000 workers. Qualified Polish construction workers have left for higher wages in the West and the Government planned to make up the deficit by granting visas to foreign workers. Now given that Poland are co-hosting the Championships with Ukraine, yes you've got there before me, there are going to be far more foreign workers using Poland as some sort of gateway to the west than actually staying to do the work they've signed up for.

On Wednesday night the Polish government announced its biggest ever spending plans for improving Polish roads, I can only think that they will have to advertise for contractors anywhere but in Poland. Oh and here's a German joke about Polish road workers:

A Polish worker is hired to paint the lines on the road. On the first day he paints ten miles, and his employers are amazed. But, the second day he painted just five, and on only the third day, he painted only a mile of the road. Disappointed his boss asks what the problem was. The Pole replies, "Well sir, every day I have to walk farther and farther to get back to the paint bucket."

See it's an old Irish joke with the nationality changed.

Source of original story:Warsaw Voice