The minimum wage is a motivating incentive for a working person. Focusing on this indicator, people tend to improve their skills, which contributes to career growth. In business segments, this indicator reduces staff turnover. The annual minimum wage in the Republic of Belarus is indexed. This takes into account the current level of inflation (current) and consumer price indices.
What is the minimum wage?
This is the minimum wage package established at the state level. Employers use it as the lowest bar in setting wages for their employees.
The minimum wage in Belarus is determined at the legislative level. The decision to increase the indicator is made by the government and does not depend on the form of ownership of the employer and the professional activities of its employees. The size of the current minimum wage may not be taken into account if the employer draws up labor relations with his employees on conditions that differ from standard ones.
The minimum wage indicator in the Republic of Belarus has a stimulating effect on the consumer and helps to minimize government social spending. It helps to increase the level of employment: the facts of dismissal of employees at their own request are reduced due to their dissatisfaction with the established salaries.
Average monthly and minimum wages
According to the Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus, the monthly minimum salary is the statutory minimum wage for working people per month. This indicator applies to labor calculated on the basis of tariff salaries (monthly). The minimum wage in Belarus annually (01.01) is established by the Council of Ministers. Throughout the year, the indicator is subject to indexation in the legislatively established order.
The minimum wage in Belarus since January 1, 2018 is 305 Belarusian rubles (approximately 9,500 Russian rubles). In August 2018, this amount was 987, 50 Belarusian rubles (about 31,000 Russian).
The minimum hourly rate is the amount established by the legislative level for the remuneration of a working person for 1 hour of his work, calculated on the basis of the monthly minimum wage. It is determined by dividing the indicator of the monthly minimum wage by the ratio consisting of the norm of annual working time.
The salary level of various categories of workers
In August 2018, the real wage indicator increased by 11% compared to the same period last year. The average salary in Belarus is currently 987.50 rubles. If we consider the nominal accrued salary by type of economic activity, then it looks like this.
- Workers employed in the information sector - 2,773.9 Belarusian rubles.
- Implementation of insurance and financial activities - 1,520.3 rubles.
- Legal sphere, accounting; the scope of engineering surveys, technical analysis, architecture - 1,453.1 Belarusian rubles.
- Wholesale trade workers, excluding auto, motor vehicles, have 1 289.0 Belarusian rubles.
- Workers in construction specialties - 1,119.3 rubles.
- The retail sector, excluding auto, motor vehicles, is 829.4 Belarusian rubles.
- The provision of transport, postal, courier services - 1,074.1 rubles.
- Health care workers - 741, 1 Belarusian rubles.
- The average nominal salary of a teacher in Belarus is 616.8 rubles.
- Social services - 556.2 Belarusian rubles.
- Cultural activities - 550.6 rubles.
- Workers in the field of sports, recreation, recreational activities - 892.9 Belarusian rubles.
- The provision of services to the population by beauty salons, as well as hairdressers - 558.7 rubles.
Untimely payment of salary
The Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus (Article 73) states that wages are paid on the days specified in the collective agreement on a regular basis. By Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 29, payment of salaries is made at least once every 30 days.
In case of untimely payment of wages, it is indexed on conditions determined by the legislative level. This is stated in article 59 of the Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus. Indexation is carried out in the event of a delay in the payment of wages for 30 days or more.
Various kinds of compensation
The amount of wages increases by the amount of compensation.
- For overtime work. This time exceeds the established working hours stipulated by the labor regulations. Surcharge is made for every 1 hour of a person’s work in excess of the established time. Instead of cash compensation, the employee can choose an additional unpaid day off.
- For work in state holidays. The remuneration of workers these days is calculated in accordance with article 69 of the Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus.
- For the implementation of work at night. Surcharges are established in the amount specified in the collective agreement. Night is called a shift in which 50% of working time is spent on night hours (from 22:00 to 06:00 according to the legislation of the Republic of Belarus).
Comparative data
Let us examine how the minimum wage in the Republic of Belarus differs from that in the countries of the near and far abroad.
- In most constituent entities of the Russian Federation, this figure is 11,163 Russian rubles.
- In the Moscow region of the Russian Federation - 14,200 rubles.
- In Ukraine, the minimum wage is 3,723 hryvnias.
- In Latvia, the figure is 430 euros.
- In Poland, the minimum wage is 2,100 zlotys.
- In Lithuania, the minimum wage is set at 400 euros.
- In Europe, the highest minimum wage is recorded in Luxembourg - 1,999 euros.