Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Protection of Wages Convention, 1949 (No. 95) - Russian Federation (Ratification: 1961)

Article 7 of the Convention. Works stores. The Committee notes that the Labour Code does not regulate the operation of works stores. It notes the absence of information in the Government’s report on the measures taken to give effect to Article 7, which provides that where works stores for the sale of commodities to the workers are established or services are operated in connection with an undertaking, the workers concerned shall be free from any coercion to make use of such stores or services (paragraph 1) and that where access to other stores or services is not possible, the competent authority shall take appropriate measures with the object of ensuring that goods are sold and services provided at fair and reasonable prices, or that stores established and services operated by the employer are not operated for the purpose of securing a profit but for the benefit of the workers concerned (paragraph 2). The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged in order to give effect to this provision of the Convention.

Article 12(1). Regular payment of wages. In its previous comments, the Committee had requested the Government to take targeted action to address the issue of wage arrears. In this regard, the Committee takes note with interest of the Government’s indication that Federal Act No. 272-FZ (which entered into force in October 2016) introduced several amendments to the national legislation, including the Labour Code, with the purpose of increasing employers’ liability for breaches of the law, in particular with regard to wages, as follows: increase in the fine for breaches related to the payment of wages; increase in compensation paid to a worker for each day of delay in settling wage arrears; and lengthening of the period of time during which a worker may institute legal proceedings for the non-payment of wages. The Committee further notes that Federal Act No. 272-FZ amended section 360 of the Labour Code to allow unannounced inspections to control the full and regular payment of wages. Finally, it takes note of the detailed information provided by the Government on: (i) the controls carried out by the labour inspectorate in relation to these issues in 2016, showing in particular a decrease in the number of offences related to the payment of wages (compared to 2015) and an increase in the amounts paid at the demand of the labour inspectorate for the settlement of wage arrears; and (ii) the results of court proceedings and the sanctions imposed in cases of violations.