27.03.09

Employers should not use the crisis to cut personnel or salaries, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia, Mikhail Shmakov, and grass-roots trade union leaders on Wednesday.

"It is unacceptable to use the crisis for the sake of short-lived tasks," Putin said.

"If the employer simply kicks his workers out, he won't be able to find good specialists when the economy starts growing, which it certainly will some time in the future. This is why the main task now is to keep the people or, wherever possible, to retrain them to take the enterprise to a new level of technological development," the prime minister said.

He also noted, "Some big companies planned to make personnel cuts before the crisis in order to restructure their operations. But they decided to refrain from doing so during the crisis."

Now they have to choose between personnel cuts and pay rise restrictions. And the 43.7 billion roubles provided from the federal budget will be used to support specific enterprises to allow them to keep the jobs and salaries.

Putin urged employers and trade unions to join forces in ensuring the stability of enterprises during the crisis.

"Trade unions can raise the question of professionalism and skillfulness of managers," he said.

However it is different when "it comes to economically justified programmes for restructuring production, increasing labour productivity or eliminating ineffective jobs", the prime minister said.

"I think they are in the interests of employees themselves, and it is hardly reasonable for trade unions to use such actions on the part of employers as a reason for a conflict or populist demands," he said.

"No matter what an enterprise is guided by, it may not kick a person out," Putin warned.

He stressed the need to explore different options for retraining and reemploying such persons, including in cooperation with local authorities.

Putin believes that trade unions should immediately respond to labour legislation violations, including the use of "grey schemes" for paying salaries.

"It is necessary to respond to violations of labour legislation immediately, including to failure to perform obligations to citizens during dismissal or intentional delays of salaries, vacation pays and other payments," Putin said.

He noted that enterprises had resumed using "grey schemes" of paying salaries. "This is not only a theft from the budget, but also a violation of future pension rights of citizens," Putin said, adding that people did not often think about the details of using such schemes or of their consequences.

"Trade unions should provide guidance there," he said.

"I would like you to pay constant attention to this issue and interact with labour inspectorates and prosecutors," Putin said.

According to the prime minister, labour inspectorates have already stepped up the fight against violations on the labour market and increased the number of administrative penalties.

Prosecutor's offices will regain the right to file lawsuits for protection of citizens' labour rights.

Putin said that in addition to increasing the unemployment benefit to 4,900 roubles, the government would also grant it to persons who resign of their free will.

The prime minister told the trade union leaders about the social and economic situation in the country, the government's tasks in then years to come and anti-crisis measures, including employment ones.

He said the government would actively use the format of consultations within the framework of the tripartite commission.

Shmakov said, "Trade unions are drafting their own proposals regarding corrections in the anti-crisis programme and its priorities".

He said that on the whole the trade unions approved seven priorities set out in the anti-crisis programme but believe they should be supplemented and specified.

Shmakov expressed confidence that the anti-crisis programme would "prioritize the obligations of the state to the population".

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Source: Itar-Tass