Expert Kudyukin questioned the massive increase in wages in the country

Almost a third of Russian companies intend to increase their workforce 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. One gets the impression 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 respondents (45%) do not have enough salary to live on. And 35% have enough of it to the brim – 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 much of this increase? 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 fullest 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 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.

– Why is there no serious increase in wages?

“It’s no secret that employers always try to save on salaries,” he says. – . Although they are not the biggest among us anyway. And they occupy a modest place in the cost of production – for different industries and companies, with a high level of energy and material consumption, about 20 percent. Significantly less than in developed countries.

However, the fact that it has grown approximately at the level of inflation 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!

– But what is an increase of 8-10%? You won’t even notice it, especially against the backdrop of our inflation. Young people will not work at a factory for that kind of money…

– 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 to profit and what part will go to wages.

– Is there a way out of the situation?

– It is necessary to reduce 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. Part of the resources goes 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 develop the economy and does not bring additional payments to labor market participants.