Mikhail Shmakov
Chairman of the Federation of independent trade unions Michael Shmakov has suggested to future governors to take the lessons of survival on minimum wage, reports RIA Novosti. In his opinion, then the heads of regions understand the importance of raising wages. He noted that such training should last at least a month, better two.
“When they become governors, then they’ll be more to listen to the proposals of the trade unions about what should be the minimum wage in the region, and then this will be the minimum wage nationwide,” said Shmakov.
He added that now the country’s very low wage. In addition, the Union leader called for the introduction of annual indexation of salaries.
In March, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets reported that about five million Russians receive salaries at the level of the minimum wage. She noted that in this respect Russia is unique because of its working citizens are extremely poor. Previously Golodets said that the real level of poverty in Russia is much more critical than statistical.
Until July 1 this year the minimum wage was about 7.5 thousand rubles. Then it increased by 4 percent to 7.8 thousand. According to the Ministry of labour, in the second quarter of 2017 the subsistence minimum of able-bodied Russians were just over 11 thousand. By 2018, the government promised to raise the minimum wage to 9.5 thousand, and in 2019 — to equate to the subsistence minimum of the working population.
According to Rosstat, in the period from January to September of 2017, the real incomes of Russians decreased by 1.2 percent compared to the same period in 2016. HSE expert has estimated that over the past three years, the population impoverished by almost 20 percent.