As reported by the Sunday issue of Pobjeda, the Montenegrin leader for producing rakija and wine is urgently searching for 800 to 900 seasonal workers for the 2018 harvest of grapes on their Cemovsko polje vineyards which may start earlier this summer due to fine weather conditions. The total area of vineyards is 2.310 hectares, and nine million vines within one complex make it the largest vineyard in Europe. This year, the company expects about 20 million kilograms of grapes to be harvested.
As the director of winemaking and fruit production Dusan Kankaras informs: "A large part of the 700-hectare vineyard is harvested by machines operated by 250 shift-workers in total, however, we’re very worried that we can’t find the remaining 900 that we still need for this season in Montenegro, so we have already started inviting workers from Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo”.
Kankaras stressed that the conditions for the seasonal jobs are very comfortable: the workers are provided with meals and the public transport costs are covered by the company. Unexperienced employees are provided with 3-day training course and daily earnings are up to 20 euro…
The article has been republished in several local media, including websites which had an immediate reaction from the local community who were outraged by such statements. Leaving emotions aside here is the summary of local's indignation:
A long-term employee of the Plantaze company has a normal shift-schedule or a 5-day working week harvesting 10 standard boxes of grapes daily for the monthly salary of 500-600 euro with covered medical insurance and all other advantages of a long-term contract. A seasonal worker, to make 20 euro per day (as stated), has to produce 20 to 30 boxes of grapes (one box is paid 30-70 cents). Summer weather conditions in the area of Podgorica are probably the hardest in the whole country: the locals call the Zeta flatland a “frying pan” where temperatures reach 41-42 degrees in the summer months. There is no sea breeze, no summer thunderstorm - it is just hot and an airless flat space. These are the “comfortable” conditions for a grape harvest.
In comparison, French and Swiss wine producers engage seasonal workers and organize accommodation, breakfast, and dinner accompanied by unlimited wine and pay them on average 10-12 euro per hour. So, for a Montenegrin, it’s maybe more attractive to look for a seasonal fruit picking job abroad.
But to me, it’s a pity that young Montenegrins remained indifferent to this generous proposal of Plantaze. This is a perfect job for those young tight and tattooed boys sitting every morning around in the cafes wearing mirror sunglasses and a white slim t-shirt. Picking grapes would be great training for their beautiful muscles and at the same time, a reminder of the responsibility to earn money.
