“For them to grow, it is necessary to reduce corruption pressure on the economy”
Almost a third of Russian companies intend to increase their staff this year. However, the selection of qualified personnel, especially in the industrial sector, takes up to four months. However, given the shortage of personnel, enterprises are not ready to massively increase wages. These are the results of labor market research conducted by group B1.
Any increase in the level of income of Russians, which is presented to us as an important success in the economy, pleases exactly until the moment when some structure decides to carefully analyze the issue. That’s when it turns out that what is desired is often presented as reality.
Commenting on the increase in the purchasing power of the population, experts first note the massive increase in wages this year. It seems that companies, competing with each other to attract specialists, increase salaries for employees so that they “don’t look around.”
But in this blissful picture the ends do not meet. Officially, according to statistics, real disposable income in the third quarter of this year increased by 3% in annual terms, and wages by 8.5%. However, a recent opinion poll showed that almost half of the respondents (45%) do not have enough salary to live on. And for 35%, it is enough — only for the most basic needs and so as not to take out a loan in microloan structures.
So, according to a recent study, the picture is contradictory. Last year, 85% of enterprises of various forms of ownership raised staff salaries — in light of competition for personnel. But this increase did not exceed 11%. And if we do not take into account the individual revision of salaries, this figure is even lower — 8% — that is, lower than last year’s inflation level, which, let us recall, was almost 12%. for example, at the end of last year, the indexation of pensions was 14% — did the elderly feel this increase much? We can say that many simply did not feel it against the backdrop of constantly rising prices.
So is it worth rejoicing over the recent salary increase? Let us remind you that all employers, by law, are required to index the salaries of employees every year. Therefore, the increase in payments has nothing to do with competition between industries. The companies complied with the requirements of the law, but not all and not to the full extent.
Meanwhile, there is a catastrophic shortage of personnel for the economy. Young people are not eager to get into production; moreover, they do not have the qualifications needed by the market. Hope for veterans who are in service. But in 2016 alone, when the indexation of working pensioners was abolished, 5.5 million people quit their jobs. An entire labor army, into the ranks of which more and more new retired pensioners are joining every year — approximately 200-400 thousand. It’s more expensive for you to travel to work “from bell to bell”; it’s easier to count on annual indexation..
We asked former Deputy Minister of Labor of the Russian Federation, now trade unionist Pavel Kudyukin, about the salary metamorphoses of the modern market.
“It’s no secret that employers always try to save on salaries,” he says. — . Although ours are already not the biggest. And they occupy a modest place in the cost of production — for different industries and companies, with a high level of energy and material intensity, about 20 percent. Significantly less than in developed countries.
However, the fact that it has increased by approximately the inflation rate just indicates competition for labor. Even such an increase is enough to “drag” specialists from one enterprise to another. .The resulting shortage of personnel forces the use of salary increases. as a way to compete. At least this way, it’s better for the workers!
— In my opinion, in conditions of weakness of trade unions, hired workers do not have a tool to fight for the redistribution of added value. Now, for example, there is a lawsuit between the federal trade union of air traffic controllers and the Federal Air Transport Agency, which violated the collective agreement on wage indexation. For air traffic controllers, it was increased by one percent, while inflation was 12% last year. This is an eternal debate: what part of the added value will go into profit, and what part into wages.
— It is necessary to reduce the corruption pressure on the economy. The share of workers in our national income is low. And the profits are small, since they have to “share” with officials. Some of the resources are transferred to the side.
The second point is that today’s GDP growth is mainly due to the defense-industrial complex. But the defense industry has nothing to do with mass consumption products.
Finally, we need to move away from economically cheap labor. It means low effective demand of the population and lack of incentives for innovation. All this does not lead to economic development and does not bring additional payments to labor market participants.