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The third info session of the VISA Agency for cross border labour mobility, part of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry took place on April 11th in Ruse, Bulgaria. The event “Labour mobility through the boarder” gathered nearly 60 representatives of the business, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders from the region.

In her welcoming remarks, Mrs. Eleonora Ivanova, executive director of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, outlined the services of the VISA Agency for employers as well as the expertise of the Chamber to consult Bulgarian and Romanian companies which do business on the other market.

Participants had the opportunity to learn about the procedures and necessary documents for hiring EU citizens and citizens of third countries to work in Bulgaria and Romania. Maria Radeva, PhD from the Ruse University “Angel Kantchev” and Mrs. Simona Lehniuc, managing associate in “McGregor & Partners Law Firm” described the process for EU posting of employees to Romania and Bulgaria respectively. They also compared the costs of posting employees versus short term labour contracts in the other country.

The intercultural differences and language barrier were described as an attainable hurdle for the business between Bulgaria and Romania by the expert Iulia Bahovski. According to her Romania is a country, where brands do matter and encouraged the audience “Make consumers fall in love with your brand and to do so it won’t hurt if you yourself fall in love with Romania.”

Mrs. Stela Yulzari consultant with Mercer, Marsh Bulgaria EOOD, presented the specific data for compensation levels and additional social benefits gathered through the 2018 among 308 employers all over Bulgaria. According to the study, in which employers report their own compensation and benefits policies, 25% of companies in Northeast Bulgaria have raised salaries with 8%. A quarter of all the surveyed companies in the manufacturing sector in the same region have reported an increase with 10%.

“Hiring and implementing foreign personnel in the working process is not an impossible mission” according to Svetlozar Dimitrov, managing director of InOut Trade OOD. InOut has hired Romanian  citizens, who travel to their jobs in Ruse daily, crossing the Danube bridge twice each day. Mr. Dimitrov recommended to the Bulgarian companies not to underestimate the potential our Northern neighbor has in relation to skilled and motivated workers.

“Romania also faces a shortage of workers, particularly in the construction and hospitality industry” stated via a videoconference bridge the experts of VISA’s partner organization – “Association for sustainable development” in Slatina, Romania.

The cross border labour mobility agency VISA continues its activity in connecting employers and job seekers on both sides of the Danube and will offer its services for free to employers until the end of June 2019.