HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY DESPERATE FOR WORKERS: OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HARDWORKING, RED ALERT FOR EMPLOYERS

Hospitality establishments in Republika Srpska are facing major challenges due to a severe labor shortage, especially during the summer months.

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Many waiters head to the Adriatic coast for seasonal work, which results in noticeably poorer service in most local venues and longer wait times for customers.

As our sources explain, the departure of waiters—particularly those who are highly skilled—has caused serious headaches for nearly all hospitality business owners.

Goran Kurtinović, a member of the Management Board of the Hospitality and Tourism Employers’ Association of Republika Srpska "Horeca", says that the situation in the hospitality sector this year is extremely poor, with a labor shortage evident throughout the year and especially acute during the summer.

“The problem starting from June 1 is finding enough workers to cover shifts and vacations,” Kurtinović said, adding that the quality of service is declining as a direct result.

“Some employers are hiring staff regardless of whether they have any experience in hospitality, and more and more young, inexperienced workers are entering the field,” he added, warning that the situation is becoming critical.

“In every new establishment that opens, staffing is one of the biggest problems,” he continued, stressing that any future owner should first consider how to secure staff before opening a hospitality business.

He explained that in order to retain workers, employers must offer top wages.

“But the problem arises when someone is paid the maximum salary and yet delivers no measurable results,” said Kurtinović, noting that in the end, guests end up waiting up to half an hour just to place an order.

He added that waiter salaries currently range from 1,400 to 2,000 BAM.

“Employers are literally forced to ‘poach’ workers from one another. Wherever we see that a worker is even slightly dissatisfied, we try to bring them over to our side,” Kurtinović said.

Zoran Škrebić, president of the Employers’ Union of Republika Srpska, said that the region is experiencing significant migration of the working-age population.

“For example, Croatia has completely run out of workers in hospitality, despite offering higher wages,” Škrebić said, noting that the majority of workers there are now foreign.

Jovica Bratić, director of the Chamber of Crafts and Entrepreneurship of Republika Srpska, told Nezavisne novine that a large number of hospitality workers leave during the summer to work in Croatia and Montenegro.

“This complicates things for us, too, since we have our own tourist season approaching,” Bratić said, adding that the sea is a major attraction for young people.

“They can earn more than three local monthly wages in just one month,” Bratić said.

According to him, this type of worker profile has been lacking in the labor market for years.

“There is no longer any sector where we have a surplus of workers, and this is especially true in hospitality, particularly during the summer,” Bratić told Nezavisne novine.

The SeeSrpska portal gained access to a Viber group called "Looking for/Offering a Job", where job ads for attractive Croatian destinations are posted daily. These ads offer free accommodation and meals, with waiter salaries ranging from 1,600 to 2,000 euros, while chefs can earn up to 2,500 euros.