The Chairman of the UNBA Committee explained how to compensate for the shortage of personnel in the construction industry

Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of personnel in the construction sector, which currently stands at around 40%. According to the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine, the number of officially registered workers in the construction sector has decreased by 25.4% over the past two years, to almost 300,000 people. Construction companies are forced to hire foreign workers.

Andriy Shabelnikov, Chairman of the UNBA Committee on Investment and Privatization, spoke about the problems in the construction sector on Hromadske Interactive Television.

The lawyer explained that the shortage of professionals in the construction industry did not appear today. Back in the early 2000s, a shortage of personnel became noticeable. The full-scale invasion increased the shortage of workers even more. Therefore, attracting foreigners to work on Ukrainian construction sites is an urgent need. However, there are many problems that the legislator has not solved for the proper adaptation of foreigners in Ukraine.

«First of all, we understand that construction workers come from Africa, Asia, etc. That is, those regions with which Ukraine does not have simplified visa control. Thus, a foreign citizen must obtain a visa for legal stay in Ukraine, and the employer must obtain a permit from the employment center. The permit is valid for 6 months to 3 years. After the permit expires, it can be extended an unlimited number of times. At the same time, foreigners permanently residing in Ukraine and other foreigners do not need a work permit in cases stipulated by the laws and international treaties of Ukraine», - said the Chairman of the UNBA Committee.

This is a rather complicated procedure that both employers and employees often want to avoid, the lawyer added. Therefore, there is often a problem with «gray» hiring of foreigners, which, on the one hand, does not allow to assess the real picture of the foreign labor market, and on the other hand, makes it almost impossible to protect the rights of foreign citizens who do not have official status in Ukraine.

In addition, there are no state programs for the adaptation of foreign nationals in Ukraine.

«Here we should pay attention to the existing practice of Germany or Sweden: compulsory language courses, social and economic support during the first two years of stay in the country. It is clear that an employee who has come to Ukraine «for a better life» will not spend money on paid courses of the Ukrainian language and history, but will remain in a vacuum regarding life in a new country», - the lawyer believes.

According to A. Shabelnikov, support and adaptation of foreigners can positively affect the image of Ukraine in the international arena.

«Therefore, the legislator has a lot to work on, as the shortage of personnel is felt only in the construction sector, given that more than 6.5 million Ukrainians left Ukraine with the start of Russia's full-scale invasion», - the lawyer concluded.