Russian Post did not deliver salaries

Changes in the payroll system at the Russian Post led to massive layoffs of postmen and branch employees. The company introduced restrictions on the distribution of salaries of vacant positions among existing employees and reduced the number of free positions. The decision is due to the deteriorating financial position of Russian Post against the background of the loss of a significant part of cross-border trade, but threatens social tension in one of the country’s largest employers. The company itself, however, claims that “there is no talk of reducing the main staff,” and promises to open 1,000 new positions as part of a project with Ozon.

A Kommersant source in the express delivery market said that the Russian Post had changed the wage rules since May and mass layoffs began in its branches: if they don’t agree to a pay cut.” The decision was made by order for the company in May (Kommersant has a copy).

Now in many regions, the Russian Post has free rates that are shared by existing employees, this allows you to give a large salary, for example, five rates can be divided for three employees in a department, explains the interlocutor of Kommersant, close to the company: “In accordance with the new decision, restrictions are now being introduced on the distribution of salaries for vacant positions, and the number of positions is being reduced.”

It follows from the order that employees of the main, auxiliary and service production of the Russian Post can receive up to 50% of the official salary for a vacant position or the position of a temporarily absent employee per one replacement employee. The position can be 100% filled for no more than three months, and no more than 50% of the work can be assigned to one employee.

One vacancy can be filled by no more than five employees at the same time, except for heads and deputy heads of postal departments. Employees can receive up to 25% of the salary of an absent employee with an increase in the volume of work for a period not exceeding one month. Restrictions on the distribution of salaries for vacant positions are also introduced for the administrative apparatus, the order says.

Member of the board of directors of Russian Post, head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Alexander Khinshtein told Kommersant that he was aware of the company’s initiative to reduce the number of rates not occupied by employees from different regions. He stressed that “the problem has already been discussed more than once.” “It really led to certain unrest and excesses in remote rural areas. We expect the company to reconsider its approach,” Khinshtein explained.

Now Russian Post is the second employer in terms of jobs after Russian Railways, Alexander Khinshtein noted: “The company bears a high social burden, it is difficult for it to compete with other commercial express deliveries.” According to the website of the Russian Post itself, the company employs about 311 thousand people.

“The order puts into effect a regulation on remuneration, in which we took into account the restrictions on the maximum possible total personal remuneration of the management team,” the company’s press service said. “There is no question of any reduction in key personnel.” Moreover, the Russian Post assured that in the near future an additional 1 thousand rates will be opened for the development of a project for issuing Ozon orders in branches.

The change in the company’s personnel policy is due to its difficult financial situation, which was exacerbated by the loss of a significant part of cross-border trade and postal communications with a number of countries, one of Kommersant’s sources says, a significant part of the costs falls on personnel, loan servicing and branch renewal: to replace Maxim Akimov at the end of 2022, the new CEO of the company, Mikhail Volkov, has not yet corrected the situation.” The net loss of Russian Post JSC according to RAS in 2022 reached 27.22 billion rubles. against 265.99 million rubles. net profit in 2021. In the first quarter of 2023, the net loss amounted to RUB 5.07 billion.

The company says that “they are taking all necessary measures to improve the financial condition.” “According to the forecast, the financial results for the first half of the year will be 10 billion rubles. higher than in the same period in 2022. In 2023, the post resumed communication with 13 countries and today delivers items to 130 countries of the world,” the Russian Post said.

Without direct state support, it will be difficult for the company to cope with the situation, the source of Kommersant in the express delivery market believes: “However, the mechanism for direct state subsidies to the company was canceled back in 2014. Now we need new mechanisms.” One of them may be the collection of an infrastructure fee from participants in the e-commerce market, he admits: “Now all marketplaces use the infrastructure of the mail in one way or another, however, an additional payment is unlikely to please them.” The fact that delivery operators may be required to allocate funds to compensate for the work of Russian Post in remote and rural settlements, Maksut Shadayev, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, said in April.

Julia Silence