November 29, 2012, 11:00 Opinions

Salary insufficiency

Two minimums - the subsistence level and the minimum wage - should not be increased, but revised

The minimum wage in Russia has never been real before

ITAR-TASS The authorities promise to think about increasing the minimum wage to the subsistence level, as well as many other promises, finally reducing economic policy to the performance of curtseys to the population.

Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection Lyubov Yeltsova announced at a meeting of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy her determination to develop a plan to gradually bring the minimum wage (minimum wage) to the subsistence level (ML) by July 1, 2013.

Details are not given, and there is no need for them. The main thing is that Yeltsova tragically declaimed to members of the upper house that the salary of 1.3 million Russians does not exceed the minimum wage. The listeners were indignant - it was a mess, and the deputy minister reported how this disgrace would be eradicated.

It was almost a theatrical performance on a small political stage. The performance seemed crumpled, as if the performers immediately proceeded to bow in anticipation of applause for the clearly demonstrated compassion, without bothering to perform the entire play. True, they bowed professionally. But what is the plot, the factual side of the story? It is useful to remember this when assessing the performance of the troupe.

The current minimum wage level is 4,601 rubles. From January 1, 2013, the government increases it to 5,205 rubles. The cost of living in Russia for the first quarter of this year was 6,827 rubles for the working population. Thus, from January 1, the minimum wage will be 76.24% of the official survival level.

Rosstat does not provide any data, does not provide examples or eyewitness accounts of how in reality one can survive on 6,827 rubles a month. It would be interesting to conduct an experiment, say, on volunteers from the Federation Council - ask them to live for 7 or even 8 thousand twelve months. The survivors will be invited to discuss the plan promised by the Ministry of Labor - they will just have time to complete the document.

A conversation about the minimum wage should begin with a conversation about the size of the subsistence minimum, if expressed as is customary in Russia. In our country, they begin with the fact that the time has come to bring the minimum wage to the minimum wage, without challenging this very minimum. Formally, everything is correct. It seems logical that the minimum wage should not be lower than the subsistence level, which, by the way, is also enshrined in the Labor Code.

In Russia, the cost of living is calculated on the basis of a certain consumer basket. This is a pretty funny list of what we think we need to survive, including satin “family” panties and so on. Our officials like to refer to European experience. Just not because in Europe there is no concept of a “consumption basket”. Everything is simpler there: the poverty level is determined, which is considered when income falls below 60% of the national average. Accordingly, the minimum wage is calculated. The Kommersant newspaper quotes an expert who says that “European standards recognize as the minimum wage earnings that are at least 60% of the average wage in the country... In the Russian Federation, the minimum wage would thus be 16 thousand rubles.”

The minimum wage in Russia has never before been a real minimum wage - so, a unit of account for calculating fines. Now the situation, they say, is changing. This is good. The only thing that confuses me is the guideline of 5,205 rubles.

This is a false guideline. And not just because he is small. Another thing that prevents us from taking it seriously is that in fact, often people who do not even receive the minimum wage, as if they do not earn anything at all (who do not pay taxes), regularly fill up their Cayennes with high-octane gasoline.

And having received the usual “502 Bad Gateway” from Rosstat in response to a request, and having fished out some numbers there, one has to admit: the minimum wage and the subsistence level in Russia are mythical things, do not exist in real life, comfortably existing only in that phantasmagorical the world where the branches of our power grow.

A common saying among Russian economists: we have no other statistics. The question of why not is always up in the air. It can be assumed that it is not at all because Rosstat employees do not know how to work.

That they do not know the methods of collecting and processing data, when not only official indicators are taken into account, that is, certificates from various bureaucratic departments. But apply them, and unpleasant things will emerge both for the authorities and for a significant part of loyal (or not so loyal) citizens, whose income goes past the tax inspectors.

Otherwise, a sharp increase in the minimum wage seems beneficial for the state. Some experts say that an increase in the minimum wage is not so important, since the employer will draw the required figure on the payroll, and will continue to pay the lion's share in an envelope. Probably so, but he will pay taxes on the “drawn” and swollen part.

What's the problem then? Yes, the authorities will have to recalculate the poverty level and get, perhaps, not very bravura results. But this can be survived. It will be more difficult to explain to millions of people why they suddenly decided to take taxes from their real incomes, which were inviolable. Even more disgusting is that you will have to quickly learn to correlate the expenses and incomes of all citizens, and from the difference in numbers - to rip off taxes with the help of ruthless computers. But then a serious conversation with people is inevitable about who, how, where and why spends money, which will suddenly begin to turn from the mythical “state” into simply “public”, into taxpayers’ money.

To do this is tantamount to announcing that we have again undertaken to build another country in which, among other things, the unspoken agreement between the authorities and a large part of the population will no longer work: we don’t take taxes from you, you don’t meddle in our affairs. And this is only part of the possible consequences.

It would be a damn hard decision. But there is an easier way - to promise to fulfill over time the article of the Civil Code about the correspondence of the subsistence level to the minimum wage and leave everything as it is. That is, leave both false minimums.

Applause in this situation seems guaranteed.