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Labor ministry drafts bills re payment of unemployment benefits

Unemployment benefits are low, which remains a problem, the minister said

MOSCOW, November 21 (Itar-Tass) —— The rules of the payment of unemployment benefits should be revised taking into account workers’ length of service and wages, Maxim Topilin, the Russian minister of labor and social protection, said during the debates in the State Duma. “We are drafting bills to revise the rules of unemployment benefits’ payment,” the minister said.

“Unemployment benefits are low, which remains a problem,” the minister said. He stressed the lack of differentiation between “those who have quite a long service record and received decent wages and have no preferences in unemployment benefits and some categories of workers who did not contribute to the insurance system while being given these preferences.” “This system should be balanced,” he said.

“We are also going to draft bills to enhance guarantees for employment of people of the pensionable age and to lessen discrimination against them in employment,” Topilin said. Besides, there will be bills legalizing labor relations and streamlining the use of foreign labor “so that employers using foreign labor should draw appropriate permissions,” the minister said.