Lithuanian businesses are rushing to help those fleeing the war in Ukraine, as more than 800 companies have already offered around 8,000 jobs for Ukrainian refugees. The Lithuanian government has also simplified their employment procedures and is preparing to pay one-off settlement allowances.
Svetlana Palenko came to the registration centre in Lithuania’s Alytus from the Kyiv suburbs where she worked as a manager in food logistics. She says she is ready to take up any job in Lithuania.
“I’ll do any job because I have a little daughter, and there’s nobody in Ukraine to support me – I’m divorced,” Palenko said.
Some entrepreneurs recruit workers directly at the registration centres of Ukrainian refugees and promise them to pay above-average wages.
“We are looking for seamstresses in particular. We would hire up to 40 seamstresses,” said Donatas Stankus, technical manager at the furniture company Sofa Brands.
In Alytus, as in other registration centres of Ukrainian refugees, the Employment Service staff are present to provide information about job vacancies.
“Most of the enquiries are for unskilled jobs, but if employers offer skilled jobs, they are flexible and adapt to the clients we have at the moment,” said Egle Kazociuniene, a career consultant at the Employment Service.
Ukrainian refugees, mostly women, with a wide range of qualifications are registering at the Employment Service or other employment institutions, according to Mantas Gudas, Vice President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists.
“From lawyers, teachers and managers to painters, hairdressers, nurses and assemblers. Businesses will certainly work with the social partners to find jobs that match their skills and talents, but we have to realize that these women are ready to do any job,” Gudas said.
Lithuanian traders are also ready to offer over a thousand jobs to Ukrainian refugees.
“They will gladly accept Ukrainian refugees, women. They can work either as hall workers or in production units where food is being prepared. These are positions where you can quickly integrate and start working successfully with little preparation,” said Ruta Vainiene, director of the Association of Trade Enterprises.
According to business representatives, the language barrier will not be a problem, as the industry has already adapted to Ukrainian and Belarusian workers.
“Procedures and descriptions in Russian and English are ready. Companies have been working in these conditions for some time now,” said Gudas of the Industrialists’ Confederation.
According to Vainiene, traders have also received assurances from the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language that Ukrainians will not be subject to the requirement to speak Lithuanian applied to all employees working in the service sector.
“That requirement has now been suspended, which is why there are already Ukrainian people employed,” Vainiene said.
Nearly 200 Ukrainian refugees have already found employment in Lithuanian shops, cafes, hotels, kindergartens and schools. Several women also work as translators.
“There is a huge demand for workers on the Lithuanian labour market, as almost 20,000 vacancies are being registered every month. So, these people and Lithuanian citizens will find their place in Lithuania,” said Inga Balnanosiene, head of the Employment Service.
Under the simplified procedures, Ukrainians do not need any permits from the Migration Department to apply for a job, so they can do it in the same timeframe as Lithuanians.
“Within two days, they can definitely start working,” Balnanosiene said.
In addition, the government has approved amendments to the law, according to which highly skilled Ukrainian refugees, who have an open-ended employment contract and earn at least 1,750 euros before taxes, will receive a settlement allowance of almost 3,000 euros. For those earning less, the amount of the allowance would depend on the family status. (LRT/Business World Magazine)