At the meeting with the chairman of the regional executive committee: an extraordinary situation requires extraordinary solutions

In Soviet times, the movement was widespread among production frontrunners

But not *that* much faster, colleagues of one of these frontrunners told me back then. The whole issue here is how justified the existing production quotas are, how the labor discipline is observed, and... what your relationship is with the shift supervisor. If technology has long since advanced, but the quotas are old, why not exceed them? Or the worker wants to earn as much as possible and doesn't even go for a smoke break, let alone lunch, and also works before and after the shift. Well, and if the shift supervisor is a fellow countryman (neighbor, in-law, brother), then it's pure paradise: the fitter rushes to your machine first, the product range doesn't change, you always have blanks at hand... Under such conditions, it would be a sin not to become a frontrunner. Just churn out the output!

However, as my university economics professor used to say about the thoughtless increase in gross production indicators, why would the "Lenin's Path" collective farm need 10 harnesses if it only has one horse? Yes, there was a period in our country when, with a universal shortage of everything, the race for gross indicators was justified. But times have changed. Today, the consumer is spoiled by abundance; he has enough quantity. Give him quality!

And here lies a major snag. Our people, en masse, are not accustomed to working with HIGH QUALITY. Everyone wants to have a good product, but far from everyone works properly. To say that the issue lies solely in our mentality would not be entirely correct. This is more a question of the lack of proper motivation for quality work.

High product quality – reduction of its cost – sale of the final product at acceptable prices – revenue growth – good wages. In one variation or another, this idea is voiced at every operational meeting with the chairman of the regional executive committee. One of its embodiments was the introduction of incentive payments for workers in the livestock industry.

In essence, everything is simple: there is a tariff and there are bonuses to it. Previously, they were accrued mainly for gross indicators, but now the emphasis is on qualitative parameters. If a livestock breeder receives 3.5 million rubles on the bare tariff, then with bonuses – approximately three times more. However, for this, for example, an artificial insemination operator must ensure a certain offspring yield, a machine milking operator – high commodity value and quality of milk, etc.

They say that in one of the western districts of the region, where incentive payments were introduced in December last year, chief veterinarians, zootechnicians, farm managers, and artificial insemination operators studied their monthly calculations with bewilderment, not understanding why their earnings decreased. They seemed to have worked as usual... Although the reason lay precisely in this "as usual": without proper attention to the quality of work. Having understood the essence of the changes in remuneration, they were surprised: it turns out that it personally depends on us whether we have black bread or can earn ourselves a buttered roll. The incentive has appeared, but will there be changes in consciousness?

Today, it is not uncommon for agricultural enterprises to simply ignore incentive payments, citing a lack of funds. The position of the head of the region is as follows: every head of an agricultural enterprise must find a solution on how to fulfill the instruction of the regional executive committee. We must raise the prestige of this category of workers, otherwise, in the near future, animal husbandry will be left without qualified specialists.

The second innovation also concerned wages, or rather, their partial payment in kind. The authorities resorted to this measure not out of choice. Meat and dairy enterprises have seen a decrease in product exports, and consequently, a reduction in revenue from their sale. As a result, overdue wage arrears have accumulated in a number of agricultural organizations. Local budgets are also experiencing significant strain.

Payment of up to 30% of earnings in kind, where employees purchase products and industrial goods according to their applications from a list, does not contradict the Labor Code, the regional tariff agreement with trade unions, and is provided for in collective agreements.

The head of the region has instructed the enterprises of OJSC "Vitebskmoloprom" to organize the supply of high-quality and fresh products to the population in their raw material zones, sold in lieu of wages without a trade markup. Funds released through this approach to labor payment are directed towards repairing equipment for sowing, purchasing fertilizers, fuel, and lubricants, and for settlements with suppliers and service providers.

Most people perceive such settlements with understanding – what difference does it make whether you buy products from a list or with cash. There are also dissatisfied individuals who say they will decide for themselves how much and on what to spend their earnings. Both sides are right in their own way. It is important to understand here: this measure is forced and temporary.

The authorities are doing everything possible to overcome the difficult economic situation that Belarus has found itself in since the end of last year due to negative external factors. Among the positive developments is the purchase of 600 tractors for the region's agricultural enterprises through partial prepayment with subsequent deferred payment. Some of these tractors have been delivered to their destinations this week in accordance with agreements concluded with the Minsk Tractor Works, and the rest will arrive next week.

As reported during an operational meeting chaired by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, his deputy Eduard Demyanov, the development of a scheme for integrating agricultural structures is nearing completion. Mineral fertilizers are being procured for the sowing campaign.

Among the anti-crisis measures is the creation of a flax holding by merging the Orsha Flax Seed Station, the Orsha Flax Combine, and the Orekhovsky Flax Mill. This will create an incentive for them to jointly achieve a positive final result by reducing the cost component in the production cost.

Working independently, each of the listed entities incurs costs without considering the final price of the finished product. Moreover, the flax mill is entirely unprofitable, is forced to sow not with elite seeds but with cheaper ones, cannot properly manage excessively large areas of flax fields, and the grown flax does not meet technological requirements.

The flax combine is financially more stable but complains about the low quality of flax raw materials. Nevertheless, the directive from the head of the region to help the flax mill by purchasing good seeds and ensuring chemical protection of the crops to grow a decent harvest and provide itself with high-quality flax fiber is persistently ignored by the management of the flagship of the domestic flax industry.

After discussing the developing situation, Nikolai Sherstnev sharply condemned the position of the flax mill management. With such an approach, he believes, we will not achieve a positive breakthrough. In the chain of seeds – sowing – plant protection – harvesting – flax fiber – fabric – sales, all stakeholders must be interconnected and economically interdependent.

The consequences of the difficult situation in the real sector of the economy also negatively affected the work of the regional road service. It is possible that those entering from the Russian Federation are still admiring the well-kept condition of our roads and territories. However, while inspecting the regions, the chairman of the regional executive committee sees not only the main entrances to the Vitebsk region but also the roads in the hinterland – with potholes, bumps, bushes, weeds, and garbage along the roadsides. This was the subject of a conversation with the management of RUE "Vitebskoblodorstroy", invited to a planning meeting after a "direct phone line" held by Nikolai Sherstnev with the residents of the region a week ago. A great many calls with complaints about the condition of local roads were received by the head of the region then.

In road construction, Nikolai Nikolaevich believes, time has been unjustifiably lost for re-equipping with modern machinery. Its absence does not allow for the necessary volume of work to be performed. And without this, the team has no decent earnings.

Today, "Vitebskoblodorstroy" has 80 graders, although, considering the length of the roads serviced, which is about 15 thousand kilometers, there should be at least twice as many. The wear and tear of the technical fleet is 70-90%. 5-10% of the budget financing is allocated annually for renewal. With such a scenario, even in good times, the existing equipment would be fully depreciated in 10 years. Currently, there are very few funds, as they say, "a cat cried," while the purchase of at least one motor grader requires 1 billion 300 million rubles.

"There is enough equipment to perform the work within the allocated funding," reported the enterprise director Vladimir Matveev during the discussion of the issue. "We adapt to the available finances."

According to the chairman of the regional executive committee, this position is fundamentally wrong. In the current economic situation, it is necessary to move away from established norms and methods of work, to start thinking in a new way, otherwise the emerging problems will not be solved, and negative trends will only worsen. To preserve the team, to give people the opportunity to earn, the leader must go to potential customers, look for any work, even insignificant in volume, find mutual understanding with agricultural enterprises, build relationships with mutual benefit – there are many roads in the countryside that need to be maintained in proper condition. For this, powerful equipment is not needed, it is enough to purchase inexpensive towed motor graders. A similar interaction scheme has been established by road workers with the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, so why not extend it to the entire region?

Two weeks are given to "Vitebskobldorstroy" to develop a program for the current maintenance of roads with the assistance of local authorities and with the involvement of economic entities. On the one hand, it will reduce the burden on the enterprise in conditions of acute shortage of financial and technical means, and on the other hand, it will involve enterprises and organizations in the process of improving roads and adjacent territories and ensure a real, lively approach to the matter by all stakeholders.

– If you understand my requirements immediately, it will be easier for all of us to work, the head of the region said in conclusion, addressing all the leaders. – I don't have time to repeat them – the situation does not allow...