Orsknefteorgsintez Approves a Collective Agreement
Orsknefteorgsintez OAO, a subsidiary of Oil Company RussNeft OAO, has approved a collective agreement for 2006-2008. The agreement is a major document introducing social protection for the employees of the Orsk Refinery. According to Irina Maslova, the Chairman of the Joint Trade Union Committee of Orsknefteorgsintez, there was a number of good reasons for adopting a new collective agreement.
The change of the owner is the main reason. “Oil Company RussNeft is known to undertake large-scale social projects in all the areas of its operation. In our case, RussNeft has willingly agreed to meet all the obligations of the previous owner,” pointed out Irina Maslova.
The representatives of the employees are of the opinion that all the obligations of the previous collective agreement have successfully been fulfilled. The draft project of the new agreement provided for more comprehensive social programmes and better guarantees. The employees in all the sub-units of Orsknefteorgsintez studied and discussed provisions of the draft agreement during the whole year. The refinery’s trade union committee took active part in all the discussions. On June 2, 2006 the conference of the employees approved the collective agreement. In accordance with the new agreement, the employer is going to provide guarantees and benefits above those specified by the Law.
The important issues addressed by the agreement are the work pressure, remuneration of labour, personnel training and retraining, working conditions, labour protection and safety, guarantee and compensation payments, social matters. The business plan provides for transferring the funds for medical care and health improvement of each employee of the company. According to the terms of the agreement, Orsknefteorgsintez will assign means to cover the running costs of the children’s recreation camp Sputnik, to pay for sanatorium-and-spa treatment of its employees and their recreation in holiday centers. The new collective agreement also specifies cash benefits for those going on their annual leaves, includes provisions of the housing programme, and provides for the means to run the youth committee.
The clauses of the new agreement also stipulate hours of labour and rest, compensation for any injury inflicted on the employee, rights, guarantees and working conditions of the company’s trade union organization, including interior labour regulations.