Source: M novine
Serbia faces labor shortages in the transport of goods and people. As in our entire country, Srem follows this trend. At the moment, there is a shortage of category D drivers, of whom, as it became known from the reports of the National Employment Service, there are about forty in Srem, but most of them are older, i.e. approaching retirement. , they are not interested in employment, and young people mostly apply for jobs outside Serbia, although many have no experience as drivers..
For this reason, some employers decide to hire foreigners. Thus, in January of this year, 12 drivers from Sri Lanka began working at Sirmiumbus. Manjula Pathmakumara, a 50-year-old Sri Lankan woman, recently drove a bus along the Sremskomitrovka routes after her probation period ended. He worked as a bus driver for 25 years and ended up in Serbia in search of bread. He says wages here are higher than in his country. He doesn’t speak Serbian, and there are probably guides on the excursions. Although in the country where he is from, he drives on the left side of the road, and in our country – on the right, but, according to him, this does not bother him, because he has already worked abroad, where he drives on the right.
– I like Sremska Mitrovica, and Serbia is a beautiful country. We have a good salary for now, but we hope that over time it will become even better. I have no problem driving on the right hand side because I am used to driving in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. I have been traveling outside of Sri Lanka for many years. As for the conditions in the company, I have nothing to complain about, they treat us well, and I would really like to stay longer in Serbia,” says Manjula Pathmakumara.
Along with Manjul, 11 other drivers arrived. Smiling, they say that they like Sremska Mitrovica and are happy with the company that hired them.
– I am grateful that I got the opportunity to work. The buses are in good condition, the traffic is not heavy, they drive well. I’m still getting used to the food here, I mostly eat rice now. I also started this business in Serbia because I can earn more than at home,” said young Madusanka Sasit.
Drivers from Sri Lanka signed work contracts for a period of two years.
In order for foreigners to be employed, the company had to fulfill legal obligations, they were registered with the Office of Foreign Employment, from where they received consent and work permits. Each of them has an ID card that they are required to carry with them during each tour. Earlier, last year, Sirmiumbus representatives traveled to Sri Lanka, where they discussed the employment of workers, checked the competence of drivers, after which the drivers were sent to Serbia.
– At the moment we are satisfied with their interaction. After the probationary period, we started driving a car. Some of them are engaged in tours to villages, and some are already traveling to Novi Sad and Belgrade, says company director Vladimir Vinsh.
What are the conditions for Serbian drivers?
Last year, the Law “On Amendments to the Road Safety Law” was adopted. It provides for a reduction in the age limit for professional drivers to obtain categories. Until now, the age limit for taking the test was 21 years for all truck drivers and 24 years for bus drivers. Now for categories C, CE, D1, D1E the limit is 18 years, and for D and DE – 21 years. However, in order for someone to become a professional driver, it is mandatory to have a certificate of professional competence or a certificate of completion of an appropriate driving school course. Special types of training are also provided.
The average salary of a driver in Serbia, according to the most visited online job portal, ranges from 80,000 to 180,000 dinars offered by employers. All this depends on whether the traffic is domestic or international. For certain positions abroad, a salary of 3,000 euros is offered.