Belarusian Working Abroad: In Europe, There Is Different Attitude To Work And Decent Wages

Belarusians have a great example of prosperous neighbors.

Intex-press was told by citizens of Baranavichy, working in different countries, why people change their job in Belarus for a foreign job, the conditions they work in, how often they go home and what pros and cons of overseas employment they see.

"I consider Belarus only as a country where I can come and see my relatives".

Anatol Kubriak, 23, working in Poland:

- I graduated from the Baranavichy College of Mechanical Engineering and worked at the locomotive depot as an electrician for repair of electrical equipment. It was a monotonous job, I had to do the same thing every day. And I wanted to develop, learn, and just something new. Besides I was not quite satisfied with my salary: I used to get 600-700 rubles per month. After five years, I decided to quit my job.

Just then a friend of mine told me about a job in Poland and said he could help me find a job. I decided to take my chances. So, in September 2020 I left to work as a driver in Poland.

I did not have a driver's license, but my employers offered me a training course, so I obtained it when I was already in Poland. It was not difficult to pass the test, the rules are the same everywhere. The only difficulty was the language barrier. But I learned Polish pretty fast, as our languages are alike.

I worked in the firm for about half a year: I didn't like the management's attitude and they didn't pay me much either. So about half a year ago I moved to another company.

I really like my current job. There is no monotony, I am rarely in the same place and not only work, but I also travel around the country. Besides, I earn four times more than in Belarus.

My workday starts at 8 a.m. I come to the base, take my car, check it is in good working condition, go to the loading point and follow the route. I deliver car parts. I usually finish my working day around 6 p.m. But sometimes I have to drive somewhere at night. For this I get a day and a half of "time off".

The employer provides me with lodging - a room in a hostel. I pay only for utilities: 200 PLN per month, which is approximately 128 Belarusian rubles. I live alone in the room. Living conditions are good, there are dishes, washing machine, in general, everything you need in a normal apartment. I spend 600 PLN a month (almost 400 rubles) on food, recreation and all sorts of little things like toiletries.

The first time I went to Poland for two months, then for four. I hope to get home for the New Year. When you go for the first time, the most difficult thing is that you don't know what to expect. Plus the language barrier. And there is nothing difficult about the work itself. The main thing is to do it. At the same time, the difference in salary is considerable.

I got used to life abroad. I have made new acquaintances. Of course, I miss my home, because there are family and friends there. But a month ago I brought my girlfriend to Poland, and now she works here, too. To be honest, in the future, I only consider Belarus as a country for rest, where you can just come and see your family and friends. And I plan to earn money here.

"Yes, there are friendly people and good roads, but home is home.

Yury Brutski, 29, works in Lithuania:

- I am a software engineer by education, but I have never worked a day in my specialty, as I don't like sedentary work. When I was 21, I joined the army, served, stayed under contract. But after serving in the armed forces for five years, I realized: this is not what I would like to do. So I started looking for a new job. For two years I worked as a driver in Baranavichy. Even then I thought about working in another country, but I did not dare, although I had a friend who worked in Lithuania, and I knew all the conditions and that in Europe there is a completely different attitude to work and a decent wage. But I had neither experience, nor practice, nor knowledge of a foreign language, and I had never gone further than Belarus. That was what stopped me. However, when the firm in Baranavichy, where I worked as a driver, closed down, I realized it was time to leave my comfort zone and to move on. So in 2020 I applied for a visa, prepared all documents and came to Lithuania.

I work in Lithuania as a driver for long-distance deliveries. I drive to Austria, Switzerland and Germany. There is no work schedule as such: you work as long as you want, if you get tired, you go home. It is convenient for me to work for three months and spend a month and a half at home.

The driver's working day here is strictly in accordance with the work and rest schedule. I can spend a certain number of hours a day behind the wheel; a violation of the schedule is punishable by heavy fines. On average, I drive about 500 km a day.

As for accommodation, things are not so rosy. Kitchen, bedroom, living room - it's all limited to a space of four by two meters, there is no bathroom. Simply put, my apartment in Lithuania is a car cabin. At home on a bed, believe me, it is much better, but we have what we have.

The first and perhaps the most difficult thing for me in Lithuania was to learn the language, but when you have practice every day, everything fits together. The second difficulty was to understand how everything works here. And the third was acclimatization. Austria, for example, is a mountainous country, and this is fresh air that makes you feel dizzy on big climbs and falls.

But if all these difficulties become normal after a month and a half, the absence of family, friends and ordinary things is tiresome. Unfortunately, however, I do not see any alternative in Belarus. So, the next five years, I see myself in Europe. But after I achieve my goal - I'm earning money to buy a house - well, we'll see. Yes, the people here are very friendly, everyone smiles, work and rest patterns are strictly observed, and the roads are very good, but home is home. Especially when they are waiting for you there.