Missing quota rules leave Vorarlberg hotels unsure over winter staff

Hotels in Vorarlberg are still waiting for rules setting how many seasonal workers from outside the European Union they can hire this winter, ORF reports. The delay is creating uncertainty as the season approaches and businesses continue to look for staff.

“We are clearly five minutes past twelve, and every day that goes by is really damaging for the coming winter season,” said Heike Ladurner-Strolz, head of Vorarlberg’s hotel association and manager of the Zimba hotel in Schruns.

The regulation setting the number of seasonal workers allowed has not yet been issued. Ladurner-Strolz said hotels have faced the problem for years and that both employers and potential workers are waiting to learn how many positions will be available. Her hotel employs about 40 people, around 10 percent of whom come through the various quota schemes. She said two employees were still waiting to find out whether they could return.

Advance notice is important for workers who need to arrange visas, she said. Some come from Serbia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and other countries, where obtaining a visa can take time. Ladurner-Strolz said they need approval when they finish the summer season to be sure they can return by mid-December.

The regulation is issued by Social Affairs and Labour Minister Korinna Schumann of the Social Democratic Party. Social partners also take part in negotiations. The Austrian Economic Chamber has accused the trade union of taking an anti-tourism stance. Ladurner-Strolz said the sector felt it had been made an enemy during wage negotiations.

Finding skilled staff is difficult, she said, and the argument that workers are available in Austria does not always apply. Hotels often find qualified workers through the quotas, while some unemployed people referred to them are not interested in tourism jobs or do not want to move to another province.