06
Society
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Opinion
At the start of the financial crisis, the Russian managers would rather pay their workers less than serious than in Moscow, St Petersburg and other nourishment in the next few months. Among the more
authorities and the mass media were at pains to con- shut their factories down. This tendency has been major centres. Mass layoffs are reported 1.5 times well-to-do, most respondents were sure that they per-
It’s bad, but
vince the public that there was no crisis. Opinion polls steady: reports of wage cuts and delays outnum- more often in medium-sized cities than in large ones. sonally would continue to live as they had before the
showed a precipitate increase in troubling effects of ber those of lay-offs and closings by a factor of 3:2. The situation among various categories of workers crisis. The higher their status, the less concern they
not as bad as
the crisis and a consequent increase in people’s anxi- Nevertheless, 70pc of all Russians feel sure that also differs. Manual workers are 1.5 times more likely expressed.
ety. unemployment will increase, while 93pc of all man- to have their wages cut or delayed than are manag- But not across the board. In fact, an equal number of
1998
The picture now appears to be quite different. The agers say that people have begun to worry more ers and other white-collar workers. Blue-collar work- managers and workers (37pc) said they might lose
authorities and the mass media have acknowledged about losing their jobs. In a recent poll, 68pc of the ers are the ones usually forced to take unpaid leave their jobs in the future. But as for finding new jobs in
the crisis and accepted it as a new reality. As for the respondents said that they had friends who had lost or accept fewer hours; and they are 1.5 times more their same profession, 55pc of the workers felt sure
ALEXEI LEVINSON public, the crisis has made itself felt here and there, their jobs due to the crisis; 13pc reported having likely to lose their jobs altogether than are specialists. they could, as opposed to less than 45pc of the man-
but so far has not matched the worst expectations. In family members forced to take unpaid leave; 17pc Poorer people are 1.5 times as likely as prosperous agers.
EXPERT
terms of difficulty, 2008 is rated as four times easier, had had their own hours cut; while 21pc said that a ones to have serious problems with pay and work. First published in the Vedomosti
and 2009 as three times easier than 1998 (when the member of their family had been let go. Polls further show that it is the poorer segments of
rouble collapsed). This is the picture in the country overall. But in me- the population that now see the crisis as a serious Head of the socio-cultural research department at
Still, for all the differences between the two crises, dium- and small-sized cities the problems of employ- threat to their existence. Of the bottom 10pc, two- the Levada Centre, an independent polling organisa-
there is some basis for comparison. As in 1998, ment as well as wage delays and cuts are far more thirds anticipate a significant worsening of their daily tion in Moscow
Trends The fight for work in the Russian capital is intense so Muscovites are looking to the provinces
for employment and success… and a less expensive way of life
How much do
Russian MPs get?
Jobseekers shun Moscow
Russian MPs are entitled to committees are allocated of-
monthly remuneration and fi cial BMW-735i and Audi A6
incentives on the scale set for cars.
a federal minister. In 2009 this MPs from other towns and
includes an allocation of members their families are
and head for the country
1.8bn roubles (£365m) for reimbursed the expenses of
paying MPs and their moving to Moscow, and back
assistants, and 29.1m roubles to their permanent home
(£5.9m) for paying the when they complete terms of
chairman of the State Duma office. A one-off allowance is
and his 10 deputies. paid for provision of neces-
sary housing facilities, equal
Job migration patterns have “There are a lot of peer cities Average monthly pay for an to 50pc of the MP’s salary for
changed thanks to the in Western countries, while MP is 160,000 roubles MPs themselves and 25pc for
economic crisis, say experts. Moscow remains the centre (£3,245). He or she is also al- each member of their house-
Up until six months ago the of gravity for the Russian lowed a supplement to the hold. Members of the Duma
lure of “a better life” in economy,” explains Sergey state pension equivalent to who don’t have accommoda-
Moscow was overpowering Smirnov, director of the In- 55pc of monthly salary if tion in Moscow are provided
for most Russians; now stitute of Social Policy and they have served for one to with an official fl at with fur-
Muscovites see the Russian Socio-Economic Pro- three years, and 75pc for niture and a telephone. The
regions as an attractive grammes, State University, more than three years. only thing they pay for them-
option. According to the Higher School of Economics. Members of the State Duma selves is utilities.
research centre at SuperJob. Mr Smirnov believes the re- receive the same medical MPs elected to the State
ru, a third of metropolitans gions can offer more career cover and access to sanatori- Duma from the regional list
would prefer relocation, opportunities, and the eco- ums and health resorts as gov- are provided with work
against 15pc two years ago. nomic downturn has made ernment ministers. They get premises and transport in the
Muscovites consider jobs and 42 calendar days’ paid leave relevant region so they can
C BY ANDREY SHIMARSKY
NINA VAZHDAEVA
careers elsewhere. per year (citizens get 28). MPs “keep in touch with the elec-
NEWSWEEK RUSSIA Smirnov believes profession- also get free life, health and torate”. MPs can have up to
als from the capital could serious injury insurance. five assistants, who are also
Native Muscovite Andrey climb the career ladder fast- Each is allocated an provided with equipped
Stepanov, 28, has lived in er outside Moscow. Addition- equipped room in the Duma workplaces and aggregate
Yekaterinburg for about two ally, relocation might be the building to enable them to pay totalling 3.34 times that
months. An estate agent who only chance to find a job fulfi l official duties. of the MP. Internal documents
was laid off in the capital, Mr using their qualifi cations. In When travelling, MPs get a can impose a limit on individ-
Stepanov tried to fi nd a job in the light of widespread job
FOTOBANK STUDIO AND GRAPHI
free ticket for one seat on a ual privileges – for example,
Moscow, but then saw a va- losses, competition for those Want to earn more and spend less? Move out of Moscow plane, helicopter, train, ship postage and telephone calls.
cancy in a Yekaterinburg jobs that are available has in- or bus. They have access to At the beginning of 2009 it
company. Now his salary is creased. Those who are not VIP lounges and priority was reported that there are
around 35,000 roubles per ready to put up with a lower redundancies and tend to The SuperJob.ru survey re- “now I have moved to the off for Goa or Montenegro to hotel accommodation. MPs plans to limit expenditure on
month, close to his monthly salary or position simply take pay cuts hard,” says Mr veals that relocation for 25- south of the country. My aim live off the rental income. The can book official cars for activity in the regions to
income in Moscow. His rent have to seek new opportuni- Ponomaryov. “Crisis victims to 40-year-olds has become is to climb up the ladder. My current trend, though, is to go personal use. If they use their 25,000 roubles (£500) per
was 24,000 roubles in the ties outside Moscow. in Moscow might feel they an increasingly popular. dream is to be become a gen- to Saratov rather than India. own car for official business, month per MP.
-
capital. It’s 14,000 roubles in Psychologist Pavel Ponomar- are unwanted and unsuc- “This is the time when people eral director of a large agri- “By leasing out an apartment expenses are reimbursed.
the Urals. yov recalls that an acquaint- cessful. The provinces offer from Moscow are willing to cultural holding.” in Moscow, they obtain two The speaker, deputy speak- Based on material from
Mr Stepanov is going to “wait ance moved to Smolensk. settle in the manufacturing Alina, 31, is a stylist. In De- sources of income. As a result, ers and heads of parties and Kommersant-Vlast
out the hard times” in Yekat- “Before, he used to be the di- or agricultural sectors,” says cember, the beauty parlour one can build up a handsome
erinburg. As soon as the situ- rector of a Western IT-com- ’Many workers in Andrey Ustyuzhanin, gener- she worked for closed. Three fortune over several years,”
ation gets back to normal, he pany subsidiary in Moscow.
Moscow live under
al fi rector of Expert Recruit- days after she put her CV on said Mr Smirnov.
will return to Moscow, and He then realised that though
given the prices in Yekaterin-
constant pressure,
ment Centre. “These indus- the internet, she was offered Experts believe the number
Moscow was saturated, and
burg, he could easily have
fearing redundancy
tries are lacking a qualifi ed the position as personal styl- of those who rule out living
the regional markets pre- workforce. Vocational train- ist to a local businessman in in Moscow may well in-
Crisis closes
around $10,000 in savings. sented an untapped poten- and pay cuts’ ing has been unavailable for Nizhni Novgorod. While in crease. While the Russian
Mr Stepanov comments: tial. Since his services are in a long time there and the ag- Moscow, she earned about government promises to
“They say Moscow is ‘a state enormous demand in Smo- riculture and manufacturing 50,000 roubles per month, support citizens who have
borders to almost
within the state’, while Mus- lensk, he has chosen to start them a real chance to boost careers have not been consid- now she rakes in some 80,000. suffered from the economic
covites are thought to be an a new company there despite their self-esteem.” ered an attractive option by “He boasts that he has sum- crisis, particularly by devel-
absolutely different kind of the economic downswing.” The psychologist jokes: “If graduate jobseekers.” moned a specialist from the oping a relief programme for
30,000 Russians
people from the rest of the Chronic stress is another rea- you have 10,000 roubles, you It has been a month since Ale- capital,” she says. internal job migrants, it is
nation. That is why I made up son Muscovites fl ee from the could feel like a fi nancial ty- ksey, 31, an agronomist, set- Another reason to move is still unclear what fi nancial
my mind, while I am young capital.“Man y office workers coon in a small town. A capi- tled in Krasnodar. “I was house prices. Six months ago, help will be offered and In the first quarter of 2009 the ny payments, although debt-
and single, to fi nd out what in Moscow are living under tal citizen might enjoy being working in the Moscow Re- the more adventurous rented when the programme will be Federal Bailiffs’ Service of the ors who have not paid, for ex-
life is like down there.” constant pressure: they fear a big fi sh in a small pond.” gion for several years,” he says, out their apartments and set launched.
-
Russian Federation (FBSRF) ample, a heavy road traffic
refused 28,000 Russians fi ne for a year can fi nd them-
permission to leave the selves on the black list.
country on the grounds of their According to the law, debtors
debts totalling 233m roubles. are notifi ed that their right to
Youth Lawmakers believe curfew for children can benefit the younger generation
This is twice the number of leave the country has been re-
Russian citizens denied stricted and they have been
Lock up your kids – the police are coming
permission to go abroad in denied a passport. The debt
2008. can only be settled through
the FBSRF. If the debtor does
About 2,500 Russians pro- not pay up within fi ve days,
hibited from leaving the 7pc is added to the sum owed.
President Dmitry Medvedev liaison between police, social to stay inside don’t like the Sasha, 18: “The government country had been appre- The border service is in-
agreed a new law allowing
What is support is there for
services, education and health idea of a curfew. thinks it will force parents to hended while trying to cross formed that the debt has been
local authorities across systems. Katya, 17: “They are talking take greater care of their chil- the border in the first three settled within a month and
Russia to sweep youngsters
the curfew?
She highlighted the risks about stopping teenagers dren. But the thing is that par- months of the year. the debtor is taken off the
off the streets – and extended faced by young people, who from taking drugs, smoking ents cannot be regarded as Temporary restrictions on black list.
the upper age limit from are often the victims of crime, and drinking but the funny careless and indifferent just debtors going abroad have The FBSRF is also drawing
14 to 18. but also pointed out that crime thing is that the more you because they allow us to go been in force in Russia since up rules which will allow it to
committed by minors has fall- limit people the more they out at nights. You still can be 1996. The law governing de- restrict a debtor’s right not
ANDY POTTS
en in recent years. want to do forbidden things. an awesome parent letting partures from Russia pre- just to go abroad but to move
THE MOSCOW NEWS STAFF WRITER
“There is a relevant question Sitting outside laughing is your kids hang out with scribes seizure of a debtor’s within the Russian Federa-
about the rights of minors,” much better than spending friends, talking all night long passport. tion.
Already officials in Volgograd she said, adding the any appli- nights hanging around in and enjoying summer ’cause At the beginning of 2008, the In 2008 more than 83,000 cit-
have announced plans to im- cation of the new legislation stuffy doorways irritating old that's what youth is all about, FBSRF and the Federal Mi- izens were denied exit be-
pose this law – in whole or in would need to “more actively ladies. Most of us just think isn’t it?” gration Service (FMS) agreed cause of their debts (totalling
part – on their youth. engage the state and society to it's another useless effort that Danila, 17: “Clubbing is not that before issuing a passport 797m roubles). This year
And Moscow, boasting the na- minors”. shows the government's in- really my cup of tea but this the FMS would check wheth- there has been a signifi cant
tion’s liveliest nightlife, could But Andrei Popkov, a deputy ability to stop crime. Folk idea to keep streets ‘clean’ at er the citizen was registered rise in bank credit debts. In
join them in requiring parents in the Volgograd Regional who get into trouble will fi nd night doesn’t look good either. on the FBSRF database. If he the present financial crisis
to know where their kids are.
SOURCE: WWW.RBC.RU
Duma, believes the curfew is a way to do so anyway.” We need this time outside. or she proved to be subject to non-repayment of loans has
The law gives regional author- the way forward. Andrei, 16: “I don’t really Once we were children, free to a court order, they could be become a big problem for the
ities the power to bar unac- “This will, first, reduce the care, though I don’t think it is go and run around the swings denied a passport until set- banks. According to Tatyana
companied under-18s from premises and sex shops – even legislation will curb crime and level of delinquency among an escape from the situation. in the playground, but a few tling their debts. Ignatyeva, there are current-
some public places, such as in though the age of consent in keep kids safe, not everyone is adolescents, and, second, will The police should guarantee years later there is no time to In principle this measure can ly 830,000 court actions out-
the street, stadiums, parks, Russia is 16. Individual au- convinced. Nadezhda Lisistsi- reduce the negative impact of our safety and protection all get together as everyone is be applied to any debtor re- standing, on debts totalling
squares, public transport and thorities can add their own hit na, fi rst regional commission- street youth,” he told Komso- day long. Now, instead, we studying all day. It looks like gardless of the sum owed. 136bn roubles. The corre-
Internet cafes, between 10pm list of places damaging the er for campaign group the molskaya Pravda. are about to bring up a gen- the end of history as we knew Those denied permission to sponding amount for 2008
and 6am. “physical, spiritual and moral Rights of the Child, told re- Alisa Hozina spoke to teenag- eration who will be running it.”
-
travel are primarily persist- was 65m roubles.
-
Youngsters will also be barred development” of children. porters at Regnum.ru that the ers in Moscow and found that away from government until First published in ent non-payers who have de-
from nightclubs, licensed While officials believe the new law was futile without close youngsters who are supposed they are 18.” the Moscow news faulted on credit or on alimo- Lenta.ru
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