Ukraine's future depends on attracting qualified foreign workers — Ukraine’s Confederation of Employers

He shared his opinions on Espreso TV.

"This was a common practice, it existed before the war, but it had a slightly different focus. The focus was on attracting specifically qualified workers. More than one factory in Ukraine was built by foreign workers, precisely qualified workers. The informational reason circulating on the internet, about workers from Bangladesh being employed in Zakarpattia, has indeed sparked a wave of discussion, with examples and questions about what this will mean and how it will unfold. In my opinion, we will not manage without attracting foreign workers, but again, I want to emphasize, qualified ones," he said.

Oleksii Miroshnychenko commented on the employment of 28 Bangladeshi workers in Zakarpattia, suggesting that they are likely not qualified.

"Because, if we look at this example currently being discussed, 160 workers are needed for a furniture factory, 30 of them supposedly are in the process of documentation, in my opinion, these are unqualified workers from Bangladesh. And here, many risks arise. On one hand, I understand the company that needs to increase its volume and attract workers. On the other hand, there are risks and cost implications that need to be calculated. Well, the first factor is that this is still Zakarpattia, a relatively calm region, so in terms of security, it should be more or less okay for foreigners. The other issue is their qualifications. If we look at Bangladesh, it has 170 million workers, with very low wages, where salaries are less than 70 dollars a month. It's clear why they come," he noted.

The President of the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine emphasized the need to consider all risks for the enterprise in particular, as well as for the region as a whole, which might be associated with foreign workers.

"A small example: I think five years ago, the World Bank conducted a study: 8 million workers from Bangladesh sent 14 billion dollars to their country, almost 8% of GDP. So, one of the largest export products of Bangladesh is labor, specifically unqualified labor. Secondly, we need to consider, as I mentioned, the qualifications. The process of document preparation, transportation, translation, language, religion, accommodation, insurance - these are significant issues. And another issue, which is rarely discussed, is the risks. Risks for the enterprise and for the region. What if they work for a certain period and then try to cross the Slovakian border or another border illegally, who will be responsible for everything? There are many such risks, but indeed, the issue is debatable; perhaps it will be some kind of experiment - what this means for Ukraine," said Oleksii Miroshnychenko.

Employment of Bangladeshis in Ukraine

At the end of January, the head of the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration, Myroslav Biletsky, reported that a local furniture factory in the Tyachiv urban territorial community was negotiating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to employ 160 people from Bangladesh.

Later, the company clarified that the number was actually 30.

The company also explained why they are hiring workers from Bangladesh, citing a shortage of labor.