measures to support federal employees in the Arctic were discussed in Norilsk / Economic news of Krasnoyarsk and the Krasnoyarsk Territory / Newslab.Ru
The municipal reporting and program forum “There is a result!” has started in Norilsk, which will last from April 8 to 10. The starting point for the delegation’s work was the 42nd fire and rescue unit in the Oganer district.
A visit to the successfully completed facility of the Comprehensive Plan for the Social and Economic Development of Norilsk until 2035 made it possible not only to assess the quality of the renovation of specialized infrastructure, but also to discuss with the personnel systemic initiatives to support those serving in the Arctic.
The delegation, which included Chairman of the Coordination Council of the RSPP branches in the Siberian Federal District Andrey Grachev, Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Dmitry Sviridov and Chairman of the Norilsk City Council Alexander Pestryakov, began the visit with a tour of the unit. The head of the 7th fire and rescue squad of the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Artyom Starovoitov, noted that when designing the facility, the emphasis was placed exclusively on domestic technologies, and the vehicle fleet was replenished with new vehicles adapted for the Arctic.
During an open dialogue with personnel, the high level of understaffing was discussed. As Andrei Grachev noted, today it is necessary to bring issues of social guarantees for security forces to a qualitatively new state level. Based on many years of management experience and practice of interaction with authorities, he emphasized that the country’s security directly depends on people working in extreme climatic conditions.
“Spot measures are not enough here; this problem must be solved systematically and at the legislative level. We must join forces with the relevant ministries in order to argue with the federal center for the return of fair northern coefficients for law enforcement officers. The conditions of service in the Arctic are completely different, and state support must fully comply with this,” said Andrei Grachev.
One of the main obstacles to attracting young specialists remains the outdated norm for calculating northern bonuses, says Chairman of the Norilsk City Council of Deputies Alexander Pestryakov. According to him, at the municipal level and at the city-forming enterprise this issue has long been resolved, but federal employees are still forced to earn “polars”.
In parallel with income equalization, it is necessary to introduce new, modern tools to retain qualified personnel. Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Dmitry Sviridov proposed going to the federal level with the initiative to develop a “fixing mortgage” program.
“The essence of the idea is that a person who has entered into a long-term contract for service in the Arctic – say, for ten years – will receive the right to a preferential, almost interest-free mortgage to purchase housing on the mainland upon completion of service. If we can launch this mechanism, we will retain experienced, dedicated professionals in the North,” the vice-speaker of the regional parliament expressed confidence.
This initiative was actively supported by Andrey Grachev. He recalled that a similar approach to housing co-financing has already proven to be highly effective in the corporate sector of Norilsk, and now it is time to apply this experience in the interests of the state.
“We need a transition from targeted solutions to a comprehensive federal program that would cover not just one department, but the entire security bloc, including the police and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. We have strong arguments for this and a clear understanding of how to “sew together” the interests of the municipality, the region and the federation,” summed up Andrei Grachev.
In addition to strategic issues, the meeting participants also touched upon everyday aspects of the department’s work, such as snow removal and routine maintenance of the territories. Alexander Pestryakov noted that the municipality will analyze existing legal mechanisms in order to find ways to interact and assist departmental facilities within the city economy.
All proposals made will form the basis for further work by parliamentarians and experts aimed at protecting the interests of Norilsk residents in the federal center.
