Importing foreign workers
Tourism companies will be allowed to hire employees outside the EU to fill their vacancies
Tourism enterprises will be able to hire workers from third countries outside the European Union, in order to cover the large gaps observed in the sector in recent years.
On Tuesday, a ministerial decision was published in the Government Gazette which officially includes tourism for the first time among the sectors that can accept third-country nationals for work, and now, according to reliable information, a new decision is expected, which will determine the terms and conditions for the initiation of the procedure.
Time is running out and the chance to import third-country workers could be lost entirely in 2023 due to the particular bureaucratic hurdles that exist. The second joint ministerial decision will clearly define both the total permitted number of migrant workers, from countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and Egypt, as well as the occupations they can be employed in.
At a recent meeting, the Supreme Labor Council (ASE) discussed a request by the sector’s employers for the import of transferable workers from third countries, in the presence of General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE) President Yannis Panagopoulos and the representatives of the Federation of Tourism and Catering Workers, who voiced a strong opposition. Eventually, after an objection submitted by GSEE, ASE was deemed incompetent to decide on the issue.
Based on estimates, staff shortages in the tourism industry alone may even reach a five-digit number nationwide in 2023, especially in occupations involving heavy, low-skilled labor.
On top of the already calculated 60,000 vacant jobs for 2023, approximately 15,000 are expected to be added from seasonal workers who submitted applications for re-employment (the deadline expired at end-January) but are not expected to return to the hotel where they worked last year – likely because they will have found another job.
Also, a number of foreign workers who in previous years worked in Greek hotel units are this year expected to choose another country with better pay.
