Why businessmen and politicians are curtailing the welfare state

Indeed, compared to the West, our state protects its citizens much better. Here are just the foundations for many social guarantees, such as free education and health care, laid the former USSR. And now, with the help of representatives of big business and some politicians, the Russian "social network" is gradually becoming an illusion.

The attack on the former "conquests of socialism" began immediately after the collapse of the USSR, and on several fronts. For example, in accordance with the Housing Code, Russians have the right to social housing. It, in theory, is provided free of charge by the state under a social employment agreement to low-income and needy citizens. But for thirty years nothing has been heard about regular cases of such bureaucratic generosity. Perhaps, only graduates of orphanages receive social apartments today. The rest of the insolvent Russians remain outside the social state.

The right to free apartments is far from all that remains of the Soviet "social." For example, many citizens still have the right to free treatment in a social sanatorium. The ticket, in theory, should be issued free of charge or at preferential prices by the social protection authorities, the MFC or the State Services portal to certain citizens. And in addition to veterans, disabled people and beneficiaries, some categories of workers, as well as employees on parental leave, have the right to such a benefit.

Of course, in our time, only a very naive person will demand a free apartment from the state, or a ticket to a sanatorium. But the Russian Labor Code is obliged to honor all employers. Including officials, directors of state-owned companies and businessmen are obliged to provide employees with all social guarantees mentioned in it. Maybe that's why individual politicians and almost all representatives of big business are in favor of revising it today?

Alexander Pochinok, the former deputy chairman of the Federation Council commission on the development of civil society institutions, was one of the first to oppose labor legislation that was too loyal to workers. He, it seems, did not like the concept of vacation fixed in the law. Mr. Pochinok called it "amorphous." Say, he said, at a time when a person has an interesting job, many themselves refuse the mandatory month of vacation.

Vacation is half the trouble. As businessmen and political activists who joined them noted, Russians not only regularly go on vacation, but also work outrageously little. In one of his long-standing interviews, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov said that workers should work 12 hours a day. At the same time, the businessman offered not to pay them for overtime.

This is now the oligarch in every possible way separates himself from Russia. And eight years ago, in the editorial offices of Moscow publications, journalists retold one ambiguous joke of the former owner of the Norilsk Nickel polar metallurgical plant. Once a representative of an influential newspaper asked Prokhorov: is he too much money for banquets? Mikhail Dmitrievich cheerfully and carefree replied: "Nothing, the gnomes are still accumulating!"

The more savvy "billionaire colleagues" of the shocking oligarch spoke to the people not so frankly. Taking Prokhorov's opinion as a basis, figures from the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs prepared amendments to the Labor Code. In addition to increasing the working day, "industrialists and entrepreneurs" proposed to allow the employer to unilaterally change the terms of the employment contract. As well as about dismissal, about these innovations, the company's management will be able to notify a subordinate in just a month. As for paid student leave, only those employees who entered the university in the direction of the enterprise will be able to count on it. The unfortunate ones who got a job for the first time were supposed to be taken on a fixed-term contract, which needs to be renewed once a year. Or, on the contrary, do not renew if the employee dares and stutters about his rights.

Also, upon closer inspection, there are extremely many other concessions for ungrateful workers in labor legislation. For example, there is a whole package of benefits for women in connection with motherhood. By the way, they apply to fathers raising children without a mother, as well as to guardians. A reasonable question arises: who will work?

The very "gnomes" of Prokhorov, who "accumulated" billions of dollars to him, also had the right to benefits. The Labor Code states that workers employed in production with harmful working conditions have the right to shorter working hours, additional paid leave, increased wages and early retirement. The fact is that the Norilsk Nickel mining and metallurgical plant, previously owned by the oligarch, is located beyond the Arctic Circle, and is engaged in a terribly harmful process of non-ferrous metal smelting.

Speaking of harmful working conditions, do not forget such a common profession as a driver. Previously, real discrimination was happening here. For example, women were not allowed to the steering wheel of buses but by law. But now equality reigns among drivers: now in Russia women can work as bus drivers. Of course, there are certain restrictions on the type of transport and working conditions, but in general there is no ban on women working on the route of LiAZ. And harmful working conditions, as we know from history, the fair sex completely withstood

However, even a woman who is torn, for example, after changing the wheel, also owes something. For example, an employee with disabilities of groups I and II, in addition to an impressive set of utility, transport and tax benefits, is entitled to significant preferences from business. So, businessmen are obliged to create jobs for people with disabilities. The minimum quota for disabled people is established by federal law and depends on the size of the state. In addition, the employer is obliged to create comfortable working conditions for him.

Russians simply forgot some of their benefits. They will be, first of all, canceled by the optimizers of the Labor Code. For example, an employee is entitled to monetary compensation in case of salary delay. For the use of personal property by an employee in the course of his labor activity, the business must also pay. Also, the employer is obliged to compensate the employee for moral damage. Say, the boss will assault the employee, and he is already in a hurry to accounting...

Soviet ideology, perhaps, left only one indisputable truth: the worker must be respected. Then he, in the event of a general disaster, will withstand everything. Today, representatives of big business and major officials like to refer to the experience of the Russian Empire. Indeed, before the outbreak of World War I, in its development, the country was in many ways ahead of the United States. Meanwhile, the working day at Russian factories lasted at least 12 hours. And about paid leave and other benefits, the factory workers did not have to dream. The country is rapidly rich. But is it necessary to remind how social explosion ended such "optimization" of labor?