On March 7, 2001, the State Duma adopted at its second reading a draft law developed by the Yabloko faction to raise the wages of budget workers (beginning with the 12th grade of the Single Tariff Grid) to the subsistence minimum. Yabloko stresses that this covers the bulk of workers in the education, health care and culture sectors.

The draft law “On the Single Tariff Rate (Wage) of the First Grade of the Single Tariff Grid in the Wage Pay of Workers of Budget Sphere Organisations” was developed and submitted to the Duma by deputies from the Yabloko faction Pyotr Shelisch, Alexander Shishlov and a deputy from the Yabloko faction of the first and second convocations of the State Duma Anatoli Golov. The State Duma adopted this draft at its first reading on November 29, 2000.

The draft raises the tariff rate (wage) of the first grade of the Single Tariff Grid for budget workers to 300 roubles per month (Ed. slightly over USD10) beginning from September 1, 2001, raising it in accordance with the increase in the minimum wage.

In addition, the federation subjects may now raise the tariff rates of the first grade of the Single Tariff Grid for budget workers of the federation subject, drawing on their local budget resources, with due account of the subsistence minimum in the region and the situation on the labour market.

The official representatives of the President and Government at a meeting of the Duma opposed adoption of the law, arguing that they didn’t have the requisite resources. However, previously the Minister of Labour and Social Development had announced that the Ministry had planned a considerable raise in the wages of budget workers for 2001. This statement clearly demonstrated that the government has the requisite funds.

The Yabloko Association considers the work targeted at raising the wages for budget workers one of its priorities and will try to ensure that the right of teachers, doctors and other people to an adequate wage will be protected by law.

The draft of Shelisch, Shishlov and Golov represents further work by Yabloko deputies in this field. In 1999 they managed to make the government raise the wages of the first grade of the Single Tariff Grid for budget workers from 60 roubles to 110 roubles. These wages had not been raised since 1995, irrespective of high inflation. This law, as well as the law on raising the minimum wage to 200 roubles, which was adopted by the State Duma of the second convocation, were developed by Golov.

On February 18, 2001 the Central Council of the Yabloko Association recommended that its parliamentary faction intensify the work targeted at raising the minimum wage to the subsistence minimum, a wage increase for budget workers and the introduction of compensatory payments for workers in case of wage deferrals.

See also:

On Wages
Central Council of the Yabloko Association Resolution, February 18, 2001