Speech Concerning Minimum Wage - Nov. 25, 2003

Dear colleagues, I would like that now about 4-5 millions people listening to the radio translation of our session realize that the issue we are discussing today in fact is concerning everybody. It is so because the matter of the minimum wage will influence the formation of wages for budget workers, every industry worker, and every peasant, and their wage will depend on how we shall decide today: to establish the minimum wage as 237 hryvnjas as everyone having good reason in that place proposes today or to establish it as 205 hryvnjas as it is proposed by Mister Azarov who has left until now.

Besides, the level of pensions depends on this also since the bigger is the wage fund the bigger pension fund is in its turn, so as a result we can significantly raise a pension rate. I want to remind you that the law on 237 hryvnjas minimum wage entered into force the last year. So in 2003 deputies themselves have deprived the people of their right to get the normal wage. When Mister Azarov says that we have no means to pay 237 hryvnjas as a minimum wage I have a direct question addressed to him. Tell me, Mr. Azarov, some weeks ago had you any other income when you presented the bill on the budget where you had stated the minimum wage at the rate of 237 hryvnjas and fully balanced budget? Had you otherwise made a fool of the Verkhovna Rada saying that all the scores had been taken into account and trying to convince us now that we are out of money?

What has changed so crucially in course of the recent two weeks? Only one thing has changed during that time: the macro economical indicator concerning the gross output of the country has been revised with the account of 10 billions. Today the budget of the domestic gross output is 27%, and if to be precise even 27.6%. It means that these 10 billions automatically bring 3 billions to the income part. Dear colleagues, why should we, people knowing what it is all about, be told that we are out of means?! We need some 6 billions for that. Three billions will be covered at the cost of the domestic gross output rising because be raise from 185 hryvnjas to 205 hryvnjas. So we really have these costs. I ask all of you only to understand that the revised today expenditures from the budget show the preparation fro the election campaign of the President of 2004.

So the deputies elected on the majority bases should clearly realize that they have to go to their election districts and we are to look honestly into their voters' eyes after that. And addressing Petro Poroshenko. I am really thankful to him for his really interesting speech. But I should remind Petro Poroshenko that the last year our faction had created a big working group and presented the project of the budget being balanced and professionally formed in which the minimum wage at the rate of 237 hryvnjas had been considered. So I ask not to waste time and begin our voting in order we can see who and what kind of policy of the Verkhovna Rada supports. Thank you for attention.

Speech from http://www.tymoshenko.com.ua/eng/news/first/1288.