Lack of workers worries growers in Poland

Tholen - According to Central Statistical Office (GUS) unemployment rate in Poland was 14,9% in October (15,2% in September). At the end of 2005 a strong acceleration in the rate of growth in wages was noted, and continued in the first months of 2006. An effect of low inflation is that growth rate in real wages will remain relatively high, however, wage pressures will be restricted by still high unemployment. But even as Polish fruit and vegetable growers used to pay as much as 2 €/h it was very difficult to find fruit pickers this year.

Most of the growers illegally hired workers from Ukraine before, but since getting Polish visas for them is more and more difficult, problem of workforce in agriculture is really serious. According to some growers, only in Grojec area (one of the largest apple growing region in Europe) thousands of Ukrainian workers were hired during picking season in previous years. In 2005 the received an average salary of 1,30-169 €/h). Last fall Polish growers had to fight Polish Border Control patrols checking the orchards in order to find illegal workers - growers called and warned each other seeing patrols on their territories.

Publication date: December 08 2006
Author: FreshPlaza correspondent Poland
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