Unions disagree with employing people from third countries

Slovakia should not accept people from third countries into its labour market, says Emil Machyna, chair of the Kovo Trade Union. He pointed to the 9.5% unemployment rate in the country and the 100,000 jobless people who could be requalified for necessary jobs. Machyna also believes that Slovakia could attract its natives who work abroad by improving its working conditions. However, employers disagree. Marcela Tokošová, the executive director of Kovotvar Kúty, a company specializing in galvanized and powder-coated metal products and that has been looking to recruit 30 workers, explains: "It takes at least three years to fully train an employee in our factory - one which has already some basic knowledge because we have machines which are specially designed for our products, so they need to get accustomed to them and get to know our products. We have been cooperating with the Labour Offices too, but I am sorry to say that the attitude of some of the unemployed people is not compatible with what's required on the market. They lack discipline, you know, basic things like respecting a schedule, and some simply do not want to work." According to a study done by the consulting company EY and the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia, the lack of qualified employees is one of the biggest concerns of companies doing business here, 65% of those surveyed saying so. Companies are missing the best candidates for managerial and technical positions, for which the long term unemployed can hardly be trained.