Putin supports Constitutional amendment guaranteeing wage indexation

Vladimir Putin has endorsed a proposal by Russian labor unions to codify wage indexation (standard cost-of-living increases), according to the Kremlin’s website. 

The idea came from Mikhail Shmakov, the head of Russia’s Federation of Independent Trade Unions, during a meeting between the president and the working group he assembled to prepare amendments to the Constitution. Shmakov suggested adding a clause mandating wage indexation to the Constitution’s 75th article, which addresses Russia’s currency, Central Bank, taxation system, and state loans. This is also the part of the Constitution where the president wants to add language about increased social benefits.

Shmakov cautioned that any wage indexation would naturally be subject to regulations dependent on Russia’s changing economic situation. “Yes, that’s fair. I agree,” Putin said on Thursday.

In January 2020, during his annual state-of-the-nation speech, Vladimir Putin unexpectedly proposed a series of sweeping changes to Russia’s Constitution, including new restrictions on the presidency, expanded limitations on the reach of international law, and a strengthened State Council. 

According to a recent poll by the Levada Center, the president’s most popular amendments are the ones that guarantee higher social spending like indexed retirement payments (92 percent) and a minimum wage above the poverty line (83 percent). The Kremlin's proposal to codify the priority of Russian law over international treaties also has the support of a whopping 84 percent of the country.