Bouygues: Higher wages in construction depend on productivity

French-based Bouygues Romania estimates it will derive business worth 100 million euros within its next two years on the Romanian market. The general manager of Bouygues Romania, the local division of the second largest constructions group worldwide, with business worth 27 billion euros, believes the Romanian workers, who have remained in the country, should not expect high wages until there is an increase in productivity. “Most Romanian workers who have stayed in the country are less efficient than those who have left,” said Victor Stefanescu (photo), general manager for Central and Southern Europe of Bouygues Construction, the constructions division of the French group Bouygues. According to Stefanescu, a Romanian builder works three times less than a builder in developed Western countries, where the work rate is higher. “In fact, in terms of efficiency, a Romanian worker can be better paid than one working in developed countries like Germany or the Czech Republic,” added Stefanescu. Over the last two years, the average income has risen by around 50%, an increase which has been felt in the constructions sector as well. “But it is precisely because workers are not very efficient that their wages cannot rise at a very fast rate, because construction companies need to stay competitive,” explained the manager of Bouygues Romania. Currently, the company has 45 expats from France, the UK, Poland, Portugal, Belgium and Morocco, with a constant turnover of personnel within the Bouygues group. There are also Romanians who have left to work for other subsidiaries in the group, in other countries.