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City could find itself short of Polish skills
Increasing incentives for Polish workers to leave Derry and find jobs elsewhere could spell problems for the city, says the head of a local multi-cultural organisation.
Eddie Kerr, director of SEEDS, said: “I have just returned from a trip to Poland and more and more Polish workers are returning home from the UK and Ireland.
“The reasons for this are the fall in the value of the pound, the increasing volume of work available in Poland and the increase in value of Polish wages.”
Poland is currently investing in big infrastructure projects as it prepares to co-host the 2012 European championships. The country is starting to lure back the plumbers and carpenters who left in recent years.
The Polish zloty has greatly strengthened against the pound since 2004. Back then, £1 would buy 7 zloty and today it's almost 5, which means less money to send home.
Eddie said: “In 2005, wages here were four times Polish average wages but now it is less than two times.
“Migrant workers here are more mobile than before in that they will move about where the work is and where they feel comfortable living.”
The loss of significant numbers of migrant workers could spell big problems for the city. Eddie said: “It would appear that our young people don’t want to work in hospitality, catering, health, food processing, and construction so we need migrant workers to fill the gaps.”
Kasia Kopacz, editor of the Polish Times, said: "If the exchange rate gets much worse, I think 70% of Polish people would go back, for sure."
Source: The Derry Journal, written by Staff Reporter
02/05/2008
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