Belarusians leave wage increase unnoticed

The average wage increased by 300 thousand roubles (to 5.4 millions) or by 5.6% in July 2013, Belstat reported.

The hotel business wages increased by half a million – up to 4 millions. I phoned President-Hotel  as I expected the wages there to be more than average.

“The wage is 4 million but we get 3 millions. There are night shifts. Do you really want to be a chambermaid? You will have to spring-clean every day!” they tried talking me out of become a chambermaid. This is a 5-star hotel but the wage of $330 does not correspond to the status.

A milkmaid and a teacher with 20 years of teaching experience get the same wage of about 4 million roubles.

A teacher of history from Mahilyou Province agreed to talk to Euroradio anonymously. The wage did not increase (3.6 millions), she said. The teacher’s salary is lower than the average wage.

"Of course, I am not satisfied with my salary. Maybe you get a bit more in Minsk. I work for 21 hours a week and get 3.6 millions. But I also take part in conferences, civil life, we are responsible for children and we look after them for half a day. And look at young specialists’ wages! No wonder they are leaving so quickly.”

The teacher cannot even predict if she will have enough money to be a new washing machine after she pays for the communal services and spends some of her salary to get ready for the new academic year. Her washing machine had to be replaced long ago.

I asked the teacher if she thought it was right to get the same salary as collective farmers in the country did. The woman was liberal about it.

"They work too. We won’t have anything to buy we they don’t work. How much should teachers make? Maybe about 5 millions. The extra money should be up to everyone’s desire to work more,” she reasoned.

Pilots’ wages increased most of all – from 9.6 to 11.4 millions. Financier’s salaries went up from 8.2 to 8.7 million roubles.

The lower average wages were registered in Braslau District (Vitsebsk Province) and Krasnapolle District (Mahilyou Province) – 3.3 millions. The leaders are Salihorsk District (7.3 millions) and Minsk (6.3 millions).