High-ranking officials of the Russian Government, who are responsible for its economic and financial policy, have made several scandalous statements during the Gaidar Forum, which is currently taking place in Moscow.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Anton Siluanov, has noted, that he considers it necessary “to renew the discussion on the pension age in the Russian Federation in order to ensure the balancing of the pension system”. His view was supported by Mr. Alexey Ulyukaev, the Minister of Economic Development. Moreover, the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Sergey Belyakov, has pointed out, that the reform of the insurance payments, comprising the abolition of the Unified Social Tax, was a mistake, while making a diplomatic reservation, that such an opinion was a “deeply personal conviction”.

All these statements should be regarded as a whole.

It appears as a challenge to the existing social agreement in Russia on laws concerning the pension system, only recently passed by the State Duma. These laws were adopted after a long debate, after scrutiny by the Russian Tripartite Commission, taking into account a number of FNPR proposals to the drafts. The laws were signed by the President of Russia.

Now, we are facing an attempt to return to the scheme of the “Unified Social Tax” which, while in force, depleted the budgets of the social funds.

These opinions, proclaimed to be a “private”, “personal” or “expert judgment”, aim at the breakdown of social dialogue, and are in sharp contradiction with the position of Russian trade unions. Even in the form of unofficial observations they undermine provisions of the General Tripartite Agreement, which has been just signed by the government, trade unions and employers.

We are calling on the government as the executive authority, and particularly on its financial and economic wing, to execute the laws of the country and Presidential decrees rather than undermining them.

15 January, 2014