In The Coal-mining Region Of The Russian Federation Stopped Paying Salaries To Medics

16.01.2026, 18:16
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Because of the "monstrous deficit" in the budget.

Medical workers in Kuzbass, which has become a record-breaker in terms of the budget hole among the regions amid the coal industry crisis, are complaining en masse about non-payment and salary cuts, according to Siberian Express. Earlier, public sector workers in Khakassia, another coal-mining region in distress, were left without money before the New Year holidays.

According to employees of a city hospital in Kemerovo, they received only an advance payment in December, leaving them without bonuses, while their January salaries did not arrive on time. "My wife is a doctor. Received for December 13 thousand", - wrote one of the subscribers of the local public. The management refers to the "delay in financing" of the local MHI fund, and the Ministry of Health of the region states that salaries in medical institutions are paid "according to the schedule of labor payment in full".

Also in January delayed payments to medical workers in Anzhero-Sudzhensk. "Salary should be today, 15.01.26, but at best it will be given on 21.01. How can we pay the bills and what to live on? Considering that the advance payment was 15 thousand rubles," complained the medical workers. The Kuzbass Ministry of Health reported about taking "all necessary measures to resolve the issue" of payments to the medical workers, which are scheduled for January 16.

Another complaint was received from a nurse of the Kuzbass clinic for the protection of miners' health named after St. Great Martyr Barbara. The head doctor of the clinic, Yevgeny Yeshchin, was arrested in October on corruption charges.

The victim said her salary was cut "by almost 20%" without any additional agreement. "Wages are paid with delays <�...> and if they are paid, it is without additional payment for the delay." According to the medical worker, she "has never been paid additional payment for a young specialist", and according to the results of 2025, unlike the previous year, the medical staff and doctors of the clinic were not given bonuses. "The lawlessness has been going on for a long time, but everyone keeps silent about it, because the management constantly intimidates employees with possible dismissal. People keep silent and tolerate, because there is actually no alternative to work," she concluded.

In 2025, the Kemerovo Region authorities have sharply cut spending amid a collapse in tax revenues to the regional treasury from the coal industry, which is the backbone of the Kuzbass economy. According to government data, in the first 11 months of 2025, the amount of profit tax received from coal miners amounted to 1.8 billion rubles, while in 2024 it reached 5.3 billion rubles, and in 2023 - 46.7 billion rubles. The amount of treasury revenues from mineral extraction tax has more than halved compared to 2024, amounting to 2.9 billion rubles (against 7.7 billion rubles a year earlier and 17.7 billion rubles in 2023). In December, regional governor Ilya Seredyuk said that three quarters of Kuzbass mining enterprises were operating at a loss.

According to the report of the Kuzbass Ministry of Finance, the regional budget in 2025 had a deficit of 55.7 billion rubles with expenditures of 255.8 billion rubles. The authorities reduced the treasury expenditures by 14.2% (up to Rb 298.2bn). Profit tax decreased by almost 45%, from 43.3 billion rubles to 29.9 billion rubles.

According to economist Natalia Zubarevich, the "hole" in the Kuzbass treasury in 2025 has become the largest among the 60 regions that had a budget deficit. "Everyone has it bad, and you have a monstrous deficit. You could help by inter-budget transfers, but they have been reduced by 30%," the expert stated.

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In The Coal-mining Region Of The Russian Federation Stopped Paying Salaries To Medics

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