"They hold people as slaves." Builders of a nuclear reactor in Dimitrovgrad have their salaries delayed

At the end of September, President Putin at the international forum “World Atomic Week” called the nuclear reactor under construction in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk region, a revolutionary development of Russian scientists and engineers, which in the future will almost completely solve the problem of nuclear waste disposal. But, as it turned out, there were big problems at the construction site: about 300 construction workers went on strike because they had not been paid their salaries for two months. They gathered at the office of the Orgenergostroy Institute company, demanded repayment of debts and recorded a video message to the head of the insurance company, Alexander Bastrykin.

Over the past year, wage arrears in Russia increased 3.4 times and by the end of May 2025 reached 1.66 billion rubles. According to Rosstat, 48% of wage debts have accumulated since the beginning of 2025. Almost half of these debts are in the construction sector. TsMAKP (Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting) believes that the main reasons for the increase in wage arrears are the abolition of preferential mortgages and the high key rate of the Central Bank, which closed access to short-term loans, with the help of which it was previously possible to quickly pay off employees.

“Lunches have been cancelled, there is no transport either”

“Since June, we have had delays in salaries - a month, a month and a half, delays in vacation pay, travel allowances, advance payments and everything else. Now the salary has been delayed for two months. We ask you to sort out this situation, help us: we need to pay off loans, and we have accumulated a lot of debts,” the workers say in their appeal to Bastrykin. They also complain about rapidly deteriorating living conditions: overflowing toilets have not been pumped out for a long time, they have to buy water themselves, there is no food - lunches have long been canceled, there is also no transport, “we get there ourselves as best we can.” It’s also hard for shift workers, whose water is turned off and evicted, so they have to rent housing at their own expense. The workers have already contacted the prosecutor's office, but nothing has changed.

Then they stated that they would not resume construction until they were paid their debts in full. After this, State Duma deputy Sergei Morozov met with the workers, to whom they told in detail about their problems. 583 people faced delayed wages, each of them including families and children. On June 25, the day of the advance, nothing arrived on the cards; people were asked to wait until the end of the month, but at the beginning of July they only paid their salaries; there was no advance. The following month the situation repeated itself. In September, employees of Orgenergostroy began writing notices that they were suspending work activities - and on the same day they were given money on their cards, but not the full amount - no one received full payments.

MBIR - Multi-purpose fast research reactor (full name multi-purpose fast neuron research reactor of the fourth generation) has been built in Dimitrovgrad since 2015, commissioning is scheduled for 2028. It is assumed that MBIR will have unique properties that will be useful in conducting reactor and post-reactor research, producing electricity and heat, and developing new technologies for the production of radioisotopes and modified materials. MBIR is being built by JSC Institute "Orgenergostroy", the customer of the project is the Research Institute of Nuclear Reactors (NIIAR).

Questionnaires instead of money

On October 24, the employer promised to pay the workers by November 1, but not everyone received the money. Some people were sent on unpaid leave without pay, the rest did not receive wages at all and stopped work on November 1. Management still hasn't explained anything to anyone. Employees on business trips seem to be in the most difficult situation: travel expenses stopped being paid in May-June, employees are saving on tickets to return home.

Orgenergostroy employees have not seen vacation pay since August. Compensation for delayed wages is also not paid, and those fired have not been able to receive a final payment for more than two months.

The management of the company, at whose office the nuclear reactor builders gathered, never came to them. True, the mayor of the city, Sergei Sandryukov, came to the workers, who said that he was very concerned about the situation, assured that they would not be abandoned, and suggested collecting questionnaires about who works for whom, since qualified craftsmen are needed everywhere.

But the mayor's concern was not appreciated. “People need to get paid, not collect forms, many are on mortgages, everyone has families, what do people need to live on today?” – the comments on social networks are mostly sarcasm and indignation. “What, the head was embarrassed to meet with the leadership of this organization? He stands on the podium and bullies the workers!!! – write those left without money. – We are keeping the issue under control, will we have to stand nearby? let's get up! ...In the meantime, fill out the forms...we'll look for a job for you. Yes, and the organization is a commercial one, we cannot influence it, so if anyone quits, here are the forms you need to fill out.”

Sometimes, however, there are also reproaches addressed to the workers: “Here are the wage workers... - they kept silent, they endured it, and here is the result of our government’s work on the economy?! Where are the real trade unions that defend workers' rights?! ... Continue to be silent and endure further, or there will be more.”

On November 7, it became known that the Ulyanovsk prosecutor’s office came to the office of the Orgenergostroy company and the construction site with an inspection and identified violations of labor legislation, to eliminate which it promised to take prosecutorial response measures.

By law, the employer is obliged to pay wages at least twice a month, within the terms established by the employment contract or internal rules. Financial difficulties of a company, even if they arose through no fault of its own, are not considered a valid reason for delaying employee salaries. For each overdue day, compensation is due (at least 1/150 of the Central Bank key rate of the unpaid amount). If wages are not paid for more than 15 days, the employee has the right to notify the employer in writing and suspend work (except for essential workers). You can protect your rights by contacting the State Labor Inspectorate (Rostrud) or the court.

The Investigative Committee for the Ulyanovsk Region also announced the start of an investigation into non-payment of wages. But judging by comments on social networks, few people already believe in the effectiveness of such checks. “So you can go to the Northern Military District, there are no delays there,” the victims bitterly sneer.

“The 90s are coming back?”

The installer Sergei (we don’t give his last name for security reasons) built the MBIR, but managed to quit before they stopped paying his salary.

– Construction materials then arrived on time, construction technologies were followed. It was generally strict with this,” he recalls.

But then, says Sergei, something happened with the financing. The subcontractor organization where he worked was building the walls of a nuclear reactor, and money shortages began there even earlier than at Orgenergostroy - back in the spring.

– From March to May we were given 15-20 thousand rubles a month in installments. Despite the fact that we had 4,950 rubles per shift, about 100 thousand should have come out per month. People were patient and waited. Then “Orgenergostroy” began to experience delays. True, our director paid off debts to those who continued to work, but those who quit were cheated out of money,” he claims.

According to him, no one went to court, they tried to “catch” the director and come to an agreement, since it was possible to work under a GPC agreement ( a civil law agreement, with the help of which a company can attract external specialists to work without registering them as staff. - “Window” ) and receive money in cash. Sergei waited until the summer and finally decided to quit in June: “I’m tired of the delays.”

Ivan (name changed for security reasons) lives in Dimitrovgrad, has been observing the situation for a long time and considers it typical for similar cities throughout Russia.

– Everywhere there is a poor budget due to the unsatisfactory state of the economy of both the city, the region and the entire country. And there are organizations that work on a shortened workweek and shortened working hours, and do not pay full wages and other benefits on time. And, alas, there are no strong trade unions that should really protect the rights of workers,” he believes. – The standard of living of the population is quite low; it is very difficult for workers with medium and high qualifications to find work.

Ivan is also convinced that the checks will be of no use. He blames the state for non-payments to workers, which “does not have reserve funds to pay salaries, travel allowances, daily allowances,” and the prosecutor’s office also has nowhere to get this money, especially when the state treasury “is itself experiencing serious financial difficulties.” In his opinion, Orgenergostroy is facing bankruptcy, and the management of a private company can do little, “if there is nowhere and no one to earn money from, except from the federal government, which presumably does not transfer funds for work performed,” except to take out loans from banks at exorbitant interest rates.

Igor (we don’t give his last name for security reasons), who himself worked at Orgenergostroy and also complained about the company to the regional prosecutor’s office, but there was no benefit from this, does not expect any good from the inspections. “Already at the beginning of construction, Orgenergostroy deceived the workers. I wrote to both the regional prosecutor's office and the regional labor inspectorate. After that, they began to survive me,” he says. Before his dismissal, Igor worked both on the construction of walls and on the construction of the reactor dome.

Of the structures involved in the construction of the MBIR, only the management of Rosatom gave a comment on the situation with the delay in salaries, assuring that they would try to preserve the team of builders of the nuclear installation in Dimitrovgrad.

“... all work related to the manufacture and acquisition of equipment for the project (including long-term manufacturing cycle equipment) is carried out as usual, in accordance with concluded contracts and established deadlines... Rosatom State Corporation and JSC State Scientific Center RIAR fully fulfilled all their obligations to JSC Institute Orgenergostroy properly and on time. In connection with the current financial situation of JSC Institute Orgenergostroy, the specialized services of Rosatom are taking all necessary measures. The main priority of the state corporation is to preserve the team involved in the MBIR construction site,” says the official commentary from the Rosatom press service.

Comments on networks under this message speak of distrust and even despair.

“Gee... are the 90s coming back?”

“Nothing surprising. Dimitrovgrad. The governor suggested continuing to work “for food.” ...what's the point of working in construction when you don't get paid? »

Most of all, people were alarmed that although Rosatom “makes every effort” to preserve the team of MBIR builders, but, on the other hand, “at present, the regional personnel center provides the necessary support to everyone who wants to change their place of work, including legal assistance and assistance in finding a new job.”

Welder Nikolai (we do not give his last name for security reasons) worked on the construction of the walls of a nuclear reactor. His comment is one of the most caustic: “This is not the first time this charaga has been targeted!!!! Everyone needs to be put there!!! The builders, damn it, closed the dome, and now they’re carrying concrete in buckets.”

– I think everything is tied to bribes and kickbacks, I have no other thoughts at all. Because the leadership there is, well, so-so. I don't even know what to call it culturally. And Tuzov ( Alexander Tuzov - director of JSC "SSC RIAR" - "Window" ) for some reason immediately resigned - I wonder why? There were many times where people were cheated out of money. And for some reason people still go there,” Nikolai told the Okna correspondent. – When they start making promises, people start believing. And how the sheep go there. But all these visits by deputies, prosecutorial checks, it’s all for nothing - if they don’t take it seriously.

Regarding Rosatom’s desire to preserve the workforce and help those who want to quit, Nikolai has separate thoughts.

– When they leave the institute (JSC Institute “Orgenergostroy”), then you can’t go to this construction site with any other company. There are other contractors, but after “Orgenergostroy” they won’t let you in. This is the company's policy. My friend decided to return after some time - he worked for half a day, if not less. They simply told him: “Your contract has been cancelled.” That's it, goodbye, that's what the management decided. They hold people as slaves. And others, unfortunately, also encountered this. We didn’t see any money for two or three months, no vacation pay,” he says.

Nikolai says that while he was working on the construction of a nuclear reactor, he never saw the promised money.

– For the management of “Orgenergostroy” it is impossible to find any definitions other than obscene ones. This is not an organization, but a prostitute. If you live there like a slave, yes, you get paid, and since I quit, it seems to me that nothing has changed there. If you work really hard, you will get 80 thousand. Well, that’s true if you live there,” he says. - I'm a welder. I should have a salary of 100-120 thousand, even more. But I didn’t see her at all - God willing, it turned out to be 60. Or you just have to live there, every time you are on shift and from lunch to lunch you work like crazy for 12-16 hours.

“They are being driven into a hole of debt”

Problems with non-payments are not limited to MBIR builders. The situation is similar in the research and production company “Palitra”, at one of its two sites - in the village of Rakhya, Leningrad region. Here, wage delays began in May; workers of this paint and varnish production with 10-15 years of experience say that in all the time they have been working they do not remember this.

In November, it became known that due to a delay of several months in basic payments and bonuses, employees of the Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant (which recently became part of the United Shipbuilding Company) contacted the prosecutor's office and the administration of St. Petersburg.

The comments under the post of the plant’s official group on VKontakte about the victories of the plant team in boxing and kickboxing competitions are very eloquent.

“What are you doing with my life? I am ashamed in front of all my friends and family. I had never taken out a loan in my life and considered it the lot of dubious individuals. Now all I can do is continue to ruin my life, driving myself into a hole of debt. It’s just a circus, while you sit and toil about crap, people throw away their last pride so as not to die a dog’s death...”

“I opened my work email today and was shocked - so many masters had left...”

And finally, the most laconic comment: “Where is the money?”

The post about how KMZ is helping tigers angered people even more.

“I love cats, I have no soul, but our beloved plant clearly cares about its inflated image more than about the workers who have already given their labor and time without receiving appropriate payment for it.”

“You have money for cats, but you can’t pay your workers for 3 months!”

“Do I need to become a big cat to get my salary?”

Oleg (name changed for security reasons) works at KMZ as a service engineer, his department is engaged in commissioning of diesel stations at the plant and then at customer sites. According to him, salary delays began after the purchase of the plant by USC. In November, the bonus for August was paid, but people still haven’t received the bonus for September. In November, people quit their jobs without pay.

Oleg explains that the salary at KMZ consists of a salary and a bonus. The salary is 30-50 thousand rubles, it is divided in half and paid twice a month: on the 12th salary and on the 27th advance payment. The bonus should be between them - and it is more than the salary. So, Oleg himself has a salary of 56 thousand, and a bonus of 64 thousand; if an employee is sent on a business trip, then the bonus increases 2-3 times.

KMZ employees write that they have to sell cars and pawn rings in order to somehow survive. According to Oleg, many found themselves in a desperate situation.

– In November, people quit their jobs without pay. I’m now getting a job in a taxi to pay off my loans and have something to live on. Valuable specialists are leaving. But you can’t go on strike at KMZ, we are a defense-industrial holding, and Article 142 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation does not protect us,” he says.

Oleg also complains about the attitude of his bosses.

“The management doesn’t care about their subordinates; at the plant there are a lot of fines for literally everything.” A woman combing her hair during work hours is a fine, taking out a phone during work hours is a fine, staying in a toilet with urinals for more than 3 minutes is a fine. Specialists are not valued and they are practically not provided with special clothing. It’s almost like the management has one answer: quit if you don’t like it. In 2.5 years, 16 people left our department - the turnover is terrible. We don’t have an hourly rate; until September, vacation pay was paid according to salary - they gave 20-25 thousand for two weeks, although they were supposed to calculate it based on the average salary. And most importantly, there are a lot of complaints, but the prosecutor’s office and the labor inspectorate are silent. There is also silence in the information space,” he asserts.

Alexander works as a CNC (computer controlled machine) operator; his department makes parts for boats and small engines. Он считает, что деньги на зарплаты рабочим кончились потому, что «самый главный на заводе решил построить на участке бассейн, а потом ещё один корпус».

– После того как я и еще двое рабочих написали, что у нас происходят, нам выплатили первую часть зарплаты и премию за август. За сентябрь не дали. За август выплатили только белую часть зарплаты, которая составляет 45 тысяч – мы так называем оклад. А премия – это чёрная часть. А за сентябрь и октябрь вообще ничего не заплатили. Вот сейчас товарищ с другого корпуса узнал – деньги вроде есть, но почему-то их не платят.

Бассейн, по его словам, достроен, а куда дальше уходят деньги – это загадка. Не исключено, что на премии начальству.

– Мы слышали, что начальники выписывали себе премии 2 млн рублей. Естественно, акционеры общества, когда нас взяло к себе ОСК, не понимали, за что такие премии. По инсайдерской информации, ОСК выделил КМЗ 500 или 600 миллионов на выплату всех долгов по зарплате и пенсии. Но по итогу даже за сентябрь нам так и не заплатили.

Сотрудникам приходится закладывать и продавать вещи, чтобы прокормить семьи – накоплений почти ни у кого нет. Сам он ждет денег за сентябрь, увольняться без расчета не хочет, «потому что людям даже увольнения не приходят, хотя обещали всё закрыть».

«Я вот еду в ломбард! сдавать последнее кольцо (чтобы ребёнку пожрать купить! По*** всем… » – таких комментариев очень много.

«Для предприятия сложилось сложное время, к которому не были готовы. Просим прощения за сложившуюся ситуацию», – отвечает руководство завода.

Корреспондент издания «Окно» отправил официальные запросы руководству АО Институт «Оргэнергострой» и КМЗ с просьбой прокомментировать с чем связаны задержки зарплат рабочим и когда они погасят перед ними долги. Ответов на запросы пока нет.