Prosecutorial Supervision over Compliance with Labor Legislation

Supervision over compliance with labor legislation regarding the timely payment of wages to employees by employers is one of the main activities of the Vitebsk region prosecutor's office.

The main reasons for overdue wage arrears continue to be the lack of own funds in organizations, high indebtedness, low profitability and unprofitability of organizations, and reduced budget financing.

According to statistical data, as of September 1, 2016, 114 organizations in the region had wage arrears totaling 3,948.9 thousand rubles, including 3,831.3 thousand rubles for August 2016 and 117.6 thousand rubles for previous months.

Overall, the prosecutorial response measures taken contributed to a decrease in the number of cases of untimely wage payments. Thus, as of January 1, 2016, 122 organizations had wage arrears totaling 44,215.8 million undenominated rubles; as of April 1, 2016, 188 organizations had arrears totaling 93,794.1 million undenominated rubles; as of July 1, 2016, 123 organizations had wage arrears totaling 43,557.5 million undenominated rubles.

In total, for the 9 months of the current year, prosecutors of cities and districts, as well as Vitebsk and Orsha transport prosecutors, submitted 51 submissions, issued 124 orders, and announced 34 official warnings. Following the review of prosecutorial supervision acts, 84 individuals were brought to disciplinary responsibility.

In addition, by resolutions of city and district prosecutors in administrative offense cases, 250 officials who delayed wage payments to employees were brought to administrative responsibility. During the execution of the orders, wage arrears totaling 764,147.96 rubles were paid.

A priority area of activity for the Vitebsk region prosecutor's office is working with appeals from citizens and legal entities, during the consideration of which prosecutors often identify violations of labor legislation regarding the timeliness of wage payments.

According to statistical data for the 9 months of 2016, the number of resolved appeals from citizens regarding violations of labor legislation, including issues of untimely wage payments, slightly increased (147 appeals (133 in 2015), of which 40 (43) appeals were fully satisfied).

Based on the facts of labor legislation violations identified during the consideration of citizens' appeals, prosecutors take appropriate response measures to eliminate the violations committed, as well as the causes and conditions that contributed to them.

Prosecutorial supervision in this area is systemic and is under constant control of the Vitebsk region prosecutor's office. In supervisory activities, the requirement for precise and uniform enforcement of labor legislation and compliance with the constitutional rights of employees remains unchanged.

Prosecutor of the Department for Supervision over
the Enforcement of Legislation
and Legality of Legal Acts
1st Class Lawyer
Viktoria Khrol