The Black Mark For Authorities

Why should Belarusians work for food?

In late May, First Deputy Prime Minister Aliaksei Turchyn said that until July 1, enterprises with an average salary of less than 400 rubles should not remain in the country. On August 19, the Ministry of Labor reported that the government’s plan was not implemented.

Why are our authorities unable to give the workers even $ 200? The website Charter97.org turned for a comment to leader of the REP trade union Henadz Fiadynich.

- Any money, even this 400 rubles, needs to be earned. The situation is such that all these enterprises are bankrupt. They are simply unable to manufacture goods, provide services, pay salaries and become a plus.

I admit that at these enterprises they have reached such a point. The authorities do not close them, but people are poor and go to work for food. It's impossible to buy anything more for the money these workers are offered.

-The enterprises with a communal form of ownership stand out the most …

- As a rule, these are enterprises owned by the local administration. But that's not the point. Is our government not tired of the never-ending commands "Pay!"? Why not create normal conditions for the work of enterprises. Only these conditions should not be created in ministerial offices.

We need small working groups, which will include representatives of industry, business, and some public organizations. Naturally, everyone will pull the blanket over themselves, but in such groups you can find a middle ground. Only in such bodies it is possible to create normal conditions for the work of enterprises, to create a good climate so that people begin to earn decent money.

But the authorities are not interested in this today. They have completely different methods. I won’t be surprised if a decree is sent from above to raise salaries before the election. Well, they will print money, give out bonuses. But this is not an option, we have stepped on this rake so many times!

- Don't you think that the authorities contradict themselves? On the one hand, they give out money to unprofitable enterprises, on the other, they say that there will no longer be any support for the public sector.

- When the economy works, there is no place for any conflicting statements. You can clarify something, change along the way, and adjust to the current legislation. And we have only contradictions. Take the tax system: why do we need so many taxes? More than 20! Make them six or eight. Today, all of Europe works according to such canons. Why do enterprises need extra moves? Accountants sit and think where to transfer money.

Such a system has led people at enterprises to be afraid to take initiatives and propose ideas. Indeed, for your proposals, you can be where the chief engineer of the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant turned out to be.

The command and administrative system knocked out the last initiative from the people. Everyone is waiting for some instructions. The government is awaiting orders from the Lukashenka administration, branch ministries are awaiting instructions from the government, and enterprise managers - from the ministry. Next - deputies, shop managers. But any business is a risk. And today, unfortunately, people have no right to risk.

Another question is, in what other country are legislative acts changed retroactively? Including tax laws. Within five years, there should be a taboo on changes in the tax sphere, if nothing supernatural happens.

In our country, a year, half a year passes, and hop, the laws change retroactively. And enterprises must orient and pay. On what basis? Are they some kind of toys, chips that you move? This is a living organism!

And then the commands come from the above "Stand there, come here." These are our management methods. And how should the leaders of small, medium, large business, heads of state enterprises react in such a situation? What should they do?

If they do something wrong - they will have a rough time. Today, Lukashenka’s system is shaking. There are no consistent actions that would bring the economy into working condition, there is only shaking. And shaking means mistakes. Serious mistakes.

- The recent take-down of officials, arranged by Lukashenka - does it also come from shaking?

- In my opinion, this is the beginning of the election campaign. A man has been at the helm for so many years, he understands what is happening in the country. Believe me, this is not such a big country where you can hide something.

- So, is all this a game?

- All this is counted on an ordinary layman. But today, even an ordinary layman takes everything critically and with a better understanding than it was even a few years ago.

- In Belarus, the number of firings has exceeded the number of hirings for the seventh consecutive month. Wouldn’t it turn out that soon there will be nobody to pay these 400 rubles?

- Everything depends on what conditions have been created to work and receive normal wages. Although today people neglect safety, the main thing is diligence.

I do not see anything surprising in so many dismissals. What are we talking about, even if such giants as Amkodor stand idle without orders. Big and systemic problems are everywhere.People simply cannot afford the luxury of working at the enterprises where wage growth does not keep pace with rising prices for goods and services.

But we are told that salaries are ahead of price increases. You guys are contradicting yourself. If wage growth is outpacing price increases, then why is MART interfering in pricing today? If the economy works, people have money, then let prices go. The market is designed so that if there is no demand for the product, then tomorrow they will not take it and prices will have to be reduced. But we see government regulation, which means the market is not working.

After all, there already was a country in which they tried to manage everything and everyone - the USSR. We all remember what this policy led to. Today, people vote with their feet and leave Belarus, get extra jobs, try to do something. And people don’t care whether this pseudo-decree about “parasites” works, they don’t look at the problem of insurance experience.

People need to live today and now. No one can afford to work eight hours a day, five days a week for peanuts.

Belarusians seek to apply their knowledge, strengths, abilities, skills in other places. If the state did not take an effort to create all the conditions for the realization of a person in our country, then people will leave. Part of the economy will go into the shadows, there will be salaries in envelopes, to evade tax. Indeed, if we work according to the law today, then I don’t know which enterprise can boast of prosperity.

- Today there is a global competition between countries for labor resources. Do the authorities think about how to keep workers in our country?

- I think that there are special services that should monitor trends that occur at least in the neighboring countries. But the question remains on the effectiveness of their work.

Today, the main indicator in the labor market is the price of labor. In Russia, labor unions demanded a four-day work week. I do not support their demands. Guys, you gotta be kidding me.

But then, in Europe, many countries have already switched to a seven-hour working day, and someone even less. This is a good offer.

There should be motivation for highly skilled and quality work. Then a man will do his job in seven hours. And it will be a job well done.

Unfortunately, in our country such a motivation is completely absent. When a person knows how much their work is worth, they will give all their best to 100% to do his job qualitatively. And what can I say when the tariff rate of the first category is 36 kapeykas? It has long been necessary to switch to hourly wages, not sticking to this bell-to-bell sitting at a factory model.

It seems that the authorities do not see the problems of the people. They voice issues, but they simply cannot feel what it’s like. All because of the fact that they live in completely different conditions.

- What salary do you consider decent for Belarus?

- I think that if we take the working class, the average salary is about 900-1000 rubles per month. This is tax free. Such a salary should be, given the current pricing. It is necessary to proceed from this when the price of labor is formed. Without this, there will be no economy.

But in our country they recall the people only on the eve of the presidential and parliamentary “elections”. A real deputy and president must work at full capacity during their term so that people fell an improvement in the standard of living.

Then it does not matter who will be in power - Lukashenka, Petrov, Ivanov, Sidorov, liberals, social democrats. If the authorities care about people, then the people do not care what they are called.

But today Belarusians are forced to think about how to survive until the end of the month, where to borrow money, feed their family, and give back the loans that they once took. Not to mention planning of the family vacation and some serious shopping. That's what people care about today.

Today's government is simply not able to offer something step by step and complete to improve the lives of Belarusians. Only shaking.

All orders are related to taking away, prohibiting. For example, how much talk there was about including a road tax in the price of gasoline. These are elementary things. And the insurance experience. Who came up with an idea that a person should work for twenty years and only then has the right to a pension? Why are those who have been caring for people with disabilities for ten years left without a penny in their pocket at old age?

Guys, by your decrees, ordinances and laws, you infringe on people's right to a normal life. I would put a “black mark” on all these “deputies”, who had sat safely in their seats all this time, and now trample in the parliamentary “elections”. They have no moral right to be elected. They betrayed Belarusians.

- Let’s summarize: the authorities today talk about the amount of 400 rubles, and Henadz Fiadynich claims that there should be a figure of 900 rubles.

- 900-1000 and not less. As for 400 rubles, our minimum wage is set at 330 rubles. The law prohibits paying less than this amount.

We are constantly talking that we should base not on the minimum wage and the living wage budget. There is a minimum consumer budget, which includes food, services, leisure, and some purchases. Today it is 467 rubles. This figure should be guaranteed today to every person if they come to work. And then - up to 900-1000 rubles.

The system is simple, but today there are no normal economic conditions, no modern technologies, no normal orders, no competitive products. There are only endless commands from the above. Today 400 rubles, tomorrow 450 rubles. Well this doesn't work guys. Although, if we talk about the moral side of the issue, then it’s just a shame for all this. A man goes to work for peanuts! But there are people who do not get this either.

The economy does not work on commands from the above.

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