Oligarchs suggest Russians should work as hard as farm animals

The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs set forth another outstanding initiative, which, as they would say before, was designed to strengthen the exploitation of the working class, peasantry and office proletariat. The "trade union of oligarchs" offers to introduce 12-hour working days, fixed-term contracts and cancel study leave allowances.

The suggestions to amend the Russian Labor Code were prepared by the committee for the market of labor of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs chaired by Mikhail Prolhorov, the owner of Onexim Group. According to the draft document, the Union offers to legalize an opportunity of 60-hour working week upon employees' consent.

"The Union only offered to legalize dual jobholding within the scope of one workplace. This is extremely important for teachers and medics who work overtime and can be important for people of other professions who want to work more. No one offered to increase the working week to 60 hours for everyone - the media misinterpreted it. It was a political setup against the union, the new Labor Code and personally against Prokhorov," Natalia Zubarevich, director of the regional program of the Independent Institute of Social Politics told Slon.ru website.

"Many office workers do not receive anything if they have to work overtime, even though if they have to do it against their own will. If we legalize a 60-hour working week, people will be able to work as much as they do now, but they will be paid for it," Yuri Virovets, HeadHunter's president said.

In accordance with applicable law, which is not always applicable as experts admit, the first two hours of overtime work shall be paid not less than 1.5 times regular wage rate; for following hours - not less than two times regular wage rate. At the same time, an automatic increase of the amount of work hours does not increase the productivity of labor.

In addition, the amendments stipulate active use of fixed-term contracts. The majority of Russians work on indefinite term employment agreements, whereas fixed-term contracts are popular with every tenth able-bodied Russian.

The Union offers to conclude fixed-term contracts with first-time employees, particularly high school graduates. They also suggest fixed-time contracts should be concluded with employees aged 60 and over.

The Union also offers to provide paid educational leaves only to those employees, whom employers assigned to education themselves. A paid leave should not be a prerogative of other employees who receive education.

The chairman of the State Duma Committee for Labor and Social Politics Andrey Isaev believes that the suggestions from the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs do not have a chance to be approved at the State Duma.

"Extending the working week can solve the problems of a part of employers today. However, tomorrow it will mean a defeat in the competitive struggle with other countries, where employers are not willing to make farm animals of their employees. Mr. Prokhorov can put forward such suggestions as many as 20 times, have his statements published and republished in any newspapers, but neither United Russia nor the State Duma will support his ideas," Isaev said.

Vitaly Salnik
Bigness