Wage indexation remains an unresolved issue

Such results for 5 years of work were shared by the trade union committee of the JSC Northern Shipping Company. As noted by Sergey Portenko, Chairman of the SUR organization, the indexation of workers' wages in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation to the Government of the Russian Federation is one of the significant issues, but despite the specific deadlines and responsibility for their violation, the case is not moving from a dead point.

There is also no cause for optimism about the reduction of the jobs of the seafarers caused by the aging and decommissioning of the shipping company's fleet, which, in turn, affected the employees of the coastal services. Under the slogan  «optimization», ship's crews have been reduced to the minimum and is not possible to dispute this decision. Accordingly, this affected the number of members of the SUR as someone simply preferred to retire, other seafarers began to find employment through cruising companies. «They have not ceased to be members of the trade union, but they have registered with the relevant organizations, »- explains Sergey Portenko.

The trade union committee notes that after the change of the management of JSC NSC the situation has changed significantly. The so-called «social partnership» has sunk into oblivion. The commissions created and designated by the orders of the Director General practically do not work. Access to any information is extremely limited. The newspaper «Sailor of the North» and «Marine Information Company» have ceased to exist, the radio bulletin goes out systemically. All significant events in the trade union committee were covered by posting information on the official website of the SUR and in the magazine Maritime Unions Herald. Access to participate in dispatch meetings is closed. The request for participation in the work of the collective body (the Management Board of JSC NSC) remained unanswered, although the law provides for such participation, but leaves it at the discretion of the employer. A significant loss for the trade union was the termination of the work of the sanatorium Meridian sanatorium. Rehabilitation of employees and veterans of JSC NSC was one of the significant directions in the work of the trade union committee. Unable to interfere in the economic activities of the shipping company, the trade union unwittingly witnessed how the dispensary was repurposed, some of the premises went to a hotel, some were rented out altogether. The medical staff, accordingly, was left without work.

If we talk about the new collective agreement, then its approval and conclusion required enormous efforts from the trade union. Instead of the three months stipulated by the legislation, the negotiations lasted more than twice as long, many positions were excluded in comparison with the previous collective agreement. «This is due not so much to changes in the legislative framework as to the unwillingness of the employer to accept the proposed conditions, » says the chairman of the trade union committee.

In cases of disagreements or obvious violations on the part of JSC NSC of the current legislation, requirements were issued for the elimination of these. If necessary, the trade union committee appealed to state bodies: the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Transport, the Transport Prosecutor's Office, the Labor Inspectorate, judicial authorities, the plenipotentiary representative of the President. «I would like to emphasize that the main part of the work was reduced to correspondence, especially waiting for answers. The deadlines for the response provided for by the current legislation were not always and not all observed, which also had to be appealed, » Portenko notes.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the country also complicated the work. With the introduction of various restrictions, it became even more difficult to work. So access to the vessels and signing off became more complicated, even for crewmembers, not to mention suppliers, repairmen and other services.