While the shortage of seasonal workers is worrying in France on the eve of the summer holidays, a union in the hotel sector announced a few days ago that the track of recruiting staff from foreign countries was under study. Morocco and Tunisia have already been mentioned as countries able to meet the needs of French recruiters. This announcement created a wind of hope on the other side of the Mediterranean.
“The members of the jury… at the table, please!” The atmosphere is electric at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Touristiques, a hotel school located in the suburbs of Tunis. The country’s top chefs have gathered to choose the candidate who will represent the country in a couscous competition to be held in Italy in a few weeks.
In the public, Majd, 23, a student cook who already sees himself as a seasonal worker in France where last May, the Union des Métiers des Industries de l’Hôtellerie proposed to the government to recruit 4,000 Tunisian seasonal workers. Majd is only waiting for one thing: for the partnership between France and Tunisia to be officially signed. Umih wants to sign this agreement in June in Tunis which will put Aneti, the Tunisian employment agency, in touch with French companies wishing to recruit Tunisian seasonal workers paid according to the salary scales of the hotel and catering sector in France. “ Everyone knows that culinary art was born in France and we all dream of improving our technical skills by working in France. If I go to France, dream Majd, I would take advantage of every hour to learn as many things as possible. I know it’s hard to get there, but my dream would be to work for a starred establishment. »
The contracts in question should not exceed five months. Despite significant hourly volumes, the salary will not exceed the minimum wage. Not enough to discourage Tunisian candidates, quite the contrary.
Zied Baklouti, a classmate of Majd, also really wants to try the adventure. “ Even if they only hire us for a month it will be great. Even a single week! This gives you time to show what you can do. And when the employer will see what you are capable of, he will not want to let you go, he will want to keep you in his team!”
This partnership, if confirmed, would be a godsend for Zied and Majd who wish to apply in Tunisia what they will have learned in France.
Others are already dreaming of a new life on the other side of the Mediterranean. But there are also more nuanced reactions because the possible recruitment of Tunisian personnel to respond to the lack of manpower in France creates concerns.
“ Tunisia also needs arms ”
But some, like chef Rafik Tlatli, a member of the Tunisian Association of Culinary Arts Professionals, fear that these possible departures will unbalance the Tunisian job market. “ Personally, I wish the best to the Tunisians who will choose to go and work in France, but that shouldn’t make us forget that Tunisia also needs arms. Our hotels also need manpower. Our hotels have reopened here too. We have the same problem as in France here in Tunisia.
During the two years of Covid, the staff who worked in the tourism industry made the choice here to do something other than their original job and now Tunisia also has staff needs. I fear that this agreement with France will have negative consequences for us. I’m afraid that the quality of service or even food suffers. What will be the solution if people leave? Bring in staff from African countries? Why not. This will shift the problem. The Tunisians go to France and we will bring in staff from African countries, why not… Now the question that will arise will be that of the language because these people do not speak Arabic but French. We’ll see, I’m going a long way but I hope we don’t won’t have to come to that.”
