Crimea desperate teachers and physicians are now coming to meetings. The main requirement is that decent wages and guarantees of preservation of workplaces. The inequality faced by the representatives of the public sector, causing resentment among Crimeans.
“Hungry teacher”
“Let the salaries of teachers”, “How much can you tolerate?”, “A hungry teacher cannot work.” With such slogans not long ago in the center of Simferopol gathered two dozen teachers. Employees only on the Peninsula of the Cossack cadet corps demanded payment of appropriate salaries.
Were on stock Ilya Bolshedvorov, Chairman of the Crimean anti-corruption Committee, told about the reasons. Teachers in the cadet corps survive at the expense of the parents: although education is technically free in case the parents are constantly forced to allocate funds for teachers ‘ salaries out of pocket. The Ministry of education of the Crimea refused to pay required by law does not coordinate grants and school financial statements. The Agency has been trying to revoke the license of the cadet corps, but the courts sided with the companies.
Even more difficult is the situation among teachers from kindergarten to vasilyevk’s village of the Belogorsky district. According to published Bolshedvorov payment agencies, at the hands of the staff of the kindergarten get 4-5 thousand rubles ($80) per month. Not so long ago the village was visited by the head of “Russian” of the Republic Sergey Aksenov. But, according to the activist, the local Department of education under the threat of dismissal has forbidden teachers to complain about the level of wages.
According to official figures the state statistics service, in the Crimea, the level of the average salary of a teacher in the school in the first half of 2016 was about 31 thousand rubles, and professors — 49,6 thousand RUB, the Average salary of doctors and employees of medical institutions in the Crimea — 39.1 thousand RUB.
Were recently in the Crimea, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets said that by the end of 2016 in the Republic recorded growth in the average wage to 25245 rubles ($416). It is 68.7 per cent of the average wage in Russia, which is 36 746 rubles ($612). For comparison, according to the decree of the Council of Ministers, the subsistence minimum per capita in the Crimea in 2016 amounted to 9502 rubles ($158) per month, for able-bodied population — 10174 RUB, for pensioners — 7850 RUB, for children — 9913 RUB.
However, according to Ilya Bolshedvorov, official income statements are not true. “Where are the parameters of the same average salaries, I don’t understand. The average salary of worker in pre-school in Belogorsk region is declared at the level of 22-23 thousand rubles. But in reality the local Department of education entirely unsustainable distribute incentive funding, amounting to 50% of wages. Preschools receive equal amounts, only one employs 60 people, and they will receive 500 rubles “stimulating” and the other 10 people, and also others”, — said the Chairman of the Crimean anti-corruption Committee.
Look ridiculous and scholarships to students of Crimean universities: since the establishment in Crimea the Russian authorities they have significantly decreased and was significantly less than the amounts which were allocated to Ukraine. In the beginning of 2016 scholarships of Crimean students got demoted to national standards. For example, students of the Sevastopol state University, studying on a budgetary basis, the payment was reduced from 4,500 rubles ($75) to 1,300 rubles ($21), increased scholarship amounted to 2600 RUB. Now the minimum of the scholarship is about 1500 RUB ($25). For comparison: in Ukraine, where living wage is about 1600 UAH ($60), a scholarship from 1100 to 1600 UAH ($40-60).
“Now, scholarships have become smaller than it was in Ukraine 3 years ago — says a student of one of the Crimean universities. — Previously, it was a little money, and now even more so. Of course, it is not enough for normal life. For example, a nonresident student studying in Simferopol, and he needed housing. Rent a modest one-bedroom apartment in the capital — about 15 thousand rubles ($250). Room — 5 thousand rubles. If the student is from the province will allocate a room in a hostel, a certain amount of money to save. We also need to consider the costs of food, transportation, clothing and some entertainment.”
According to the interlocutor, in his spare time he is engaged in design projects. For him, it is the main source of income that allows you to meet the minimum requirements. Financial assistance from parents.
Unfair difference in wages
Crimean resent as allocated budget funds notes Bolshedvorov. “For example, the difference in the remuneration of teachers: in the Simferopol district the salary of 25-30 thousand rubles, and the rest is up to 16-20 thousand. And the salary of assistants and technical staff in preschools sometimes do not even reach the minimum” — said social activist. As a result, he said, Crimeans are dissatisfied with the work of local government.
Cases, the unfair accrual of the salaries on the Peninsula — dozens. At the moment when the Crimea was under Russian control, has revised the system of calculation of payments.
The teacher of a school in Simferopol, who asked not to specify his place of work, in conversation with openDemocracy admitted: with the transition of the Ukrainian past in Russian reality educators began to receive salaries several times higher than the former. “Our past wages in Ukrainian hryvnias was transferred in Russian roubles and has increased in 2-3 times. With the exchange rate of the ruble against the dollar each teacher on average earn from 500 to 1000 US $ depending on seniority, seniority and place of work”, — says the teacher of the events of three years ago.
But in the spring of 2015, the terms of remuneration have changed. According to the source, the basic unit of account for salaries of employees of the education sector amounted to 5 thousand rubles. C 2017 also changed the principle of formation of the Fund incentive payments (bonuses and allowances, bonuses and other incentive payments), which suggests their reduction.
“We began to receive a different salary, — says the teacher. — If to take into account the fall of the ruble against the dollar by half, the revenue has decreased. Now the average salary of teachers per month is 18-20 thousand rubles, or 300-330 dollars.” Our source added that the information about earnings management of the institution where he works, classified. “There is the assumption that they have fabulous salaries. Including bonuses and various allowances income may reach 50-60 thousand rubles ($1000), and even more.”
“We are beggars”
The high difference in wages applies not only to education. For example, drew the attention of a scandal in the field of medicine, which broke out in the Crimea in October of last year. The chief accountant of the Central Republican clinical hospital. Semashko in Simferopol has accrued his salary of half a million rubles ($8.3 thousand) per month, and Deputy chief 300-350 thousand rubles ($5.5 thousand).
According to the Prosecutor of the Crimea, in less than six months staff has illegally accrued 17.7 million rubles in premiums. The average salary of paramedic in the Crimea is ten times less. After much publicity in the press and the intervention of the Prime Minister of Crimea Sergei Aksenov, the head physician of the Central hospital was fired. But by what criterion was charging obscenely high salaries, bonuses and why it’s lasted several months, was not clear.
Another resonant case in medicine has occurred in Kerch in June last year. After the recent reports in the local media, an internal conflict in the city hospital became public knowledge. Doctors, outraged by the low wages and lack of incentive payments, organized a meeting with the participation of the chief accountant, economist, physician and journalists. “We want to be heard and helped to solve the issue. Maybe this time we will help the Ministry of health of Russia”, — said the nurse Kerch city hospital Olga Taranenko.
Agency staff claimed: January 2016 monthly at the middle and medical staff decreased incentive payments, in may, they stopped. “In may, the nurses received a 10% incentive, gossluzhba 40%, and health workers did not receive”, — said Chairman of the Union Elena Ivashchenko.
At the same time, the volume of work has increased and wage in fact decreased. In addition, the logistics is in decline. “We have to ask: bathrobes, Slippers, soft furnishing, paper. We are like beggars,” — protested at the meeting the head nurse Marina Yakimenko. By that time, the salary of nurses was reduced to 10-11 thousand rubles, and in the absence of incentive payments — up to 7 thousand ($116). After the scandal the situation was hushed up. Any conflicts related to the accrual of payments not reported.
Another factor that you should pay attention to the level of salaries in different areas of employment. Against the background of public sector employees professionals engaged in financial activities, public administration, production and distribution of electricity, gas and water, have relatively high earnings. That these workers have the highest wages, said Minister of labor and social protection of the Crimea Elena Romanovskaya. This category refers to military and law enforcement officers and officials working in the highest authorities of the Republic.
For example, the average salary of an employee in the army under contract (depending on the title) is from 30 to 60 thousand rubles ($500-1000). Ordinary police received about 30 thousand rubles. The Declaration of the Crimean civil servants holding high posts in the government of the region, testify to the vast income for the year. Accordingly, their monthly income is in the range of 90-150 thousand rubles ($1500-2000).
Disadvantaged area
Ilya Bolshedvorov emphasizes the problems in the Crimea ignored. And the lack of opportunities for people to Express their opinion “will lead to apathy, loss of hope, perhaps, to serious disturbances”.
Indirectly words Bolshedvorov confirmed by experts of the Russian Committee of civil initiatives, established by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin. In early March, they presented a ranking of the most politically troubled regions of Russia. For the first time in the study, experts including the Crimea and Sevastopol.
As noted by the speakers, the meaning of recalculation of the index of socio-economic and political tension was most rapid in view of the negative, for the most part, changes in the system of political governance in the regions. The occasion was passed in September 2016, Federal and regional elections, and the ongoing dismantling of the system of local government. It was also analyzed and the dynamics of protest activity in the second half of 2016.
Experts note: Crimea and Sevastopol are at risk due to several factors — ineffective control systems and a large number of public protests. In addition, Crimea is de jure is not a priority region: in 2016, a decrease of transfers to this region twice, Sevastopol in the quarter.
“The budget turned into a feeding trough for the elite in the means of money laundering”
Official statistics show that the registered unemployment rate in the Crimea at the end of January of the current year amounted to 0.7% — which is low. However, some observers believe the real figure is completely different — 35-40%. According to them, real jobs for the last time appeared in the construction of such a large object, like the Kerch bridge. However, there are mostly working professionals from the regions of Russia.
Leonid Grach, politician, Communist, former Chairman of the Crimean Parliament and former people’s Deputy of Ukraine, believes that the main reason for the creation of socio-economic protest and tension in the Crimea is the high level of corruption. “The fish decays from the head, and this means that the budget turned into a feeding trough for the elite in the means of money laundering. All this happens in front of the Crimeans: the endless repair of roads, are especially vulnerable to the housing sector, the growth of prices and tariffs, corruption in medical institutions,” rook said.
According to policy, a crucial period in the public mood, which “clearly expressed in the support of the President of Russia after the referendum in 2014,” became “touring trips to the Crimea,” Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
“The fatal phrase while walking in Feodosia museums — “no money but you keep” — in fact he gave the team the mood of protest,” says rook. The former MP is sure: if you do not take immediate drastic action to restore order on the Peninsula, it can result in a social explosion and a negative result in Crimea at the election of the President of the Russian Federation in March 2018.
Observers believe that the euphoria associated with the “annexation” of the Crimea to Russia in the past. Come to the fore primarily domestic problems. The issue of income now are more concerned with the Crimean people, for whom the choice in favor of Russia three years ago was fundamental. This is particularly evident against the background of rising prices for food and commodities, and utility services.
