In July and June there will be a noticeable shortage of lifeguards on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, and at the moment it does not seem that there is a way to overcome this. Ivan Georgiev - manager of the rescue service, said this during a briefing today, "Flagman" reported.
The problem is due to the fact that although there are intensive courses every year that can be used to acquire the personnel in question, most of them prefer to work at a pool - be it outdoor or indoor, instead of on the beaches.
>„By the beginning of July, we will need a total of no less than 4000-4500 lifeguards for the season. Of these, only for the sea the number is between 1500 and 1600 minimum. Each post needs at least two and that, at least at this stage, seems overwhelming.
However, it is still too early to say exactly how much the shortages will be, as we are constantly running courses. The problem is that even those who are now with us, we managed to convince with difficulty to come to the beach, because most young people think that work is easier at the pool,” commented Ivan Georgiev.
He commented that unlike the restaurant and hotel industry, where property owners can rely on third-party staff, lifeguards do not.
„At the moment, the legislation is structured in such a way that it does not allow us to import personnel for lifeguards. Our profession is not listed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. We are currently documenting the necessary changes to be proposed to the relevant authorities for consideration, but this is a long process that requires time. We don't have one, and that's why our eyes are focused entirely on the internal labor market,”, the experienced rescuer also said.
According to Georgiev, it does not matter at all from which countries we will be able to import lifeguards at a future stage, as long as they possess the necessary qualities and above all swimming skills.
Some of the beaches are considering hiring lifeguards from old EU members - for example, Poland, which can supply the native Black Sea coast with trained personnel, but for them an average salary of 1,000 euros must be provided, plus covering overheads.< /p>
The good news is that some concessionaires are ready to pay even more if there are people who take care of their work responsibly.
However, the average remuneration in this sector for Bulgarians is BGN 1,500=