April 29, 2021. VCIOM presents the findings of a survey on the Russian perceptions of May Day, workers’ rights and the role of trade unions in protecting the workers.
Workers solidarity day
More than one-third of Russians perceive May Day as International Day of Workers’ Solidarity (41% vs 35% in 2005). The percentage of those who perceive this day as a rest day which can be spent at dacha or with the family is almost similar to the percentage of those who perceive it as a spring holiday (29% and 25% respectively).
Three-quarters of Russians (75%) consider that having a holiday to praise labor is important, and more than a third of Russians intend to celebrate May Day (39%). More than half of Russians are not willing to celebrate this holiday this year (57%). The share has increased 1.5-fold since the start of the monitoring study in 1994 (34% in 1994).
The most common activity on this day is to spend time with the family (38%; +18 p.p. since 2005), to do the gardening (25%; +4 p.p. since 2019 and +14 p.p. since 2005), to work (16%; + 12 p.p. since 2005), and to see friends (11%; since 2005 this share has dropped 4-fold). Nine percent of Russians plan to go on a picnic/have a hike. Only 3% of respondents are going to take part in May Day demonstrations.
Supporting the constitutional norms
More than half of Russians support norms secured by the Russian Constitution stating that the Russian Federation respects and protects the rights of the Russian workers (74%) and the Russian government ensures the implementation of the principles of social partnership in labor relations (68%). Those with the opposite opinions are 21% and 15%, respectively.
Russians’ labor rights
Over the recent decade, 17% of Russians have experienced violation of labor rights. The most common ones are refusal to pay or to give a rest day for overtime (6%), delay in salary payment or incomplete salary payments (5%), and workplace health and safety violations (5%).
Those who experienced violation of labor rights turned to the boss to solve the issue (5%) or changed the job (4%). Five percent of those whose rights were violated did not do anything.
The top three violations to be tackled are as follows: overtime/overwork is not paid (16%), small salary/no indexation (16%), a delay in salary payment (12%).
Protecting the Russian workers’ rights
Every second Russian considers that protection of the Russian workers’ rights depends on the state and employers (almost equal percentages - 51% and 46%, respectively). According to 21% of respondents, protection of workers’ rights relies solely on the workers.
As to political parties, respondents consider that the United Russia party is the most effective one in protecting the rights of workers in Russia (17%); 19% say that its activities encourage more jobs (45% and 53%, respectively, are undecided) .
Most of Russians agree that the best way to protect workers’ rights is to create new jobs (82%); 16% oppose this stance.
Are trade unions fading out?
More than half of employees working at companies which have trade unions are not trade union members (54%, +6 p.p. since 2019). At the same time, the share of those who are trade union members is decreasing (44% vs 51% two years ago).
The reasons why Russians are reluctant to go to trade unions are as follows: their absence (28%), trade unions’ failure to solve disputes (13%), and it is pointless (12%).
Work week
Almost half of employees (49%) work more than 40 hours per week. One-third of Russians (37%) work the normal working hours (40 hours per week). Ten percent of employees work less than 40 hours per week.
More than half of Russians would willingly work more than 40 hours provided that the employer guaranteed the payment of hours (76%). Twenty percent of respondents, as well as women (29% vs 13% men), are not eager to work more even for extra payment.
Russian nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on April 28, 2021. A total of 1,600 of Russians aged 18 and older took part in the survey. Results are based on telephone interviews. Stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers was used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
What does May Day mean to you personally? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondent) | ||||
| 2005 | 2010 | 2019 | 2021 |
International Day of Workers’ Solidarity | 35 | 31 | 32 | 41 |
Spring holiday | 38 | 38 | 31 | 29 |
Day off to spend at dacha or with the family | 22 | 24 | 31 | 25 |
Social Rights Day | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Don’t know | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Do you intend to celebrate May Day this year? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondent) | |||||
| 1994 | 2010 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 |
Yes | 65 | 62 | 56 | 49 | 39 |
No | 34 | 31 | 41 | 49 | 57 |
Don’t know | 1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
In your opinion, do Russians need a holiday to celebrate labor and workers’ solidarity today? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondent) | ||
| 2019 | 2021 |
Likely yes | 79 | 75 |
Likely not | 18 | 20 |
Don’t know | 3 | 5 |
· Survey of April 24,2021
What are you going to do on May 1st? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondent) | |||||||
| 2005 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 |
To spend it with my family, children | 20 | 27 | 23 | 21 | 27 | 39 | 38 |
To do the gardening | 11 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 25 |
To work | 4 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 16 |
To have friends over, to visit friends | 40 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 7 | 12 | 11 |
Household chores, repairs, cleaning | 5 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
Picnic, hiking | 8 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 9 |
To take part in May 1st rallies, demonstrations | 6 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 3 |
To be busy with my school/university exam preparation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
No plans | - | - | - | - | 3 | 10 | 8 |
Other** | - | - | - | - | 2 | 5 | 8 |
Don’t know | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
In 2005-2010, the question wording was “If you are going to celebrate May Day, how will you celebrate it?
** “Other” option was not proposed
What kind of violations have you personally faced? (% of total respondents, open-ended question, any number of answers) | |
| % of total respondents |
Refusal to pay or to give a rest day for overtime hours | 6 |
Delay in payment of salary, incomplete payment | 5 |
Workplace safety violations | 5 |
Paying salary or part of it without legal employment | 3 |
Refusal to give an annual leave | 3 |
Employer’s failure to pay everything you are owed upon termination of your employment | 2 |
Illegal dismissal without a two-week notice | 1 |
Refusal to grant a sick leave | 1 |
Low salary/mismatch between salary and work volume | 1 |
Gender-based refusal to hire | 1 |
Forcing the employee back to work while he/she is on vacation | 0,3 |
Other | 2 |
Don’t know | 0,5 |
Those who did not answer the question | 83 |
If your labour rights were violated, what means of protection did you use? Any number of answers (close-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents) | |
| % of total respondents |
I talked to my superior | 5 |
I changed my job | 4 |
I started to work less (if they do not pay accordingly – no point working hard) | 2 |
I used personal connections (help of my friends and relatives) | 1 |
I went to court | 1 |
I went to trade union, to ask advice from workers’ association | 1 |
I upheld my rights by force | 0,2 |
I took part in rallies , demonstrations, protests | 0,2 |
I had to give presents, money | 0,1 |
Other | 2 |
No special means | 5 |
Don’t know | 0,2 |
Those who did not answer the question | 83 |
You said you labor rights had been violated. Why did you not turn to the trade union in this regard? (% of workers who faced violations of their labor rights but did not turn to trade unions to protect them; open-ended question, not more than 3 answers) | |
| % of workers who faced violations of their labor rights but did not turn to trade unions to protect them |
No trade union | 28 |
Trade union does not solve any issues | 13 |
No point / pointless / I do not believe it | 12 |
I’m not a member / not a trade union member | 10 |
No time / no desire / it takes too much time and efforts | 7 |
They could dismiss me / I would have had more problems | 6 |
No idea if there is a trade union / I know nothing about them | 4 |
Trade unions act in concert with the employer | 4 |
I was not legally employed / I did not have an agreement | 3 |
It was solved in a natural way / a conversation was enough to solve it | 2 |
I did not know where to turn to | 2 |
I turned to the trade union | 1 |
I did not want to spoil relationship with the boss / good relationship with the boss | 1 |
We violated rights ourselves | 1 |
Other | 4 |
No rights were violated | 1 |
Don’t know | 13 |
In your opinion, what does the protection of labor rights in Russia rely on? (% of respondents, closed-ended question, not more than 2 answers) | |
| % of those whose rights were violated |
State in general, government bodies | 51 |
Trade union | 12 |
Employers | 46 |
Courts | 5 |
Employees | 21 |
Don’t know | 8 |
In your opinion, are the rights of the workers in Russia protected, or not? If they are, are they sufficiently protected, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondent) | |
| % of total respondents |
Sufficiently protected | 17 |
Insufficiently protected | 50 |
Not protected | 26 |
Don’t know | 7 |
What specific labor rights violations should be tackled in Russia? (open-ended question, not more than 5 answers; answer of at least 2% of respondents) | ||
| % of total respondents | % of working Russians |
Overwork / irregular working hours / extra hours are not paid / no fixed working hours | 16 | 21 |
Small salary / no indexation / low minimal monthly wage / decrease in salary | 16 | 16 |
Failure to pay salary / delay in salary | 12 | 13 |
Downsizing / dismissal | 7 | 7 |
Paying “under the table” | 5 | 6 |
Lack of workers’ protection / arbitrary superiors/ infringement of workers' rights | 5 | 5 |
They refuse to grant a vacation / they do not pay annual leave/ leave roster | 4 | 6 |
Workplace violations / labor code violations | 4 | 4 |
They do not pay sick leave / they do not pay health services / they deny sick leave | 4 | 5 |
Illegal employment | 3 | 4 |
Corruption / bribery | 3 | 3 |
Failure to pay benefits / lack of social benefits | 2 | 3 |
Unemployment / few jobs / to create new jobs | 2 | 2 |
Poor relationship / fines / penalties | 2 | 1 |
Violations of safety instructions | 2 | 2 |
Other (less than 2%) | 18 | 18 |
Don’t know | 43 | 41 |
Do you agree or disagree with the statement: the best way to protect labor rights is to create new jobs? (closed-ended question, one answer) | ||
| % of total respondents | % of working Russians |
Likely to agree | 82 | 81 |
Likely to disagree | 16 | 17 |
Don’t know | 3 | 2 |
Are you a trade union member in your company/organization, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents, only working Russians were asked – 55%) | |
| % of total respondents |
Yes | 10 |
No | 38 |
We have no trade union in my company/organization | 8 |
Don’t know | 0 |
Those who did not answer the question | 45 |
Are you a trade union member in your company/organization, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents; only working Russians were asked – 55%) | |
| % of total respondents |
Yes | 10 |
No | 38 |
We have no trade union in my company/organization | 8 |
Don’t know | 0 |
Those who did not answer the question | 45 |
In your opinion, do the Russian trade unions help workers to protect their rights, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |
| % of total respondents |
Rather yes | 28 |
Rather not | 53 |
Don’t know | 19 |
In your opinion, what are the top priorities of the trade unions’ activities today? (closed-ended question, not more than 2 answers) | ||
| % of total respondents | % of the working Russians |
Protection of workers’ rights | 33 | 35 |
Help to vulnerable social groups | 29 | 29 |
Implementation of social programs (distribution of vouchers, presents, etc.) | 25 | 29 |
Caring for veterans | 22 | 21 |
Organization of mass events | 11 | 13 |
Other | 4 | 4 |
None | 4 | 3 |
Don’t know | 17 | 16 |
Let us talk about the length of work week in Russia. How many hours per week do you work (including overtime, if any)? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
| Total | Men | Women |
About 40 hours per week | 37 | 33 | 43 |
Less than 40 hours per week | 10 | 6 | 15 |
More than 40 hours per week | 49 | 58 | 38 |
Don’t know | 4 | 3 | 4 |
If your employer guaranteed to pay the hours greater than the normal 40 hours, which option would you choose? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
| % of the working Russians | Men | Women |
To work not more than 40 hours per week | 20 | 13 | 29 |
To work more than 40 hours per week, if the overtime is paid | 76 | 84 | 66 |
Don’t know | 4 | 3 | 5 |
In your opinion, what political party pays more attention to the protection of labor rights? (% of respondents, open-ended question) | |
| % of total respondents |
United Russia party | 17 |
KPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) | 12 |
LDPR (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) | 6 |
A Just Russia- Patriots – For Truth party | 4 |
Yabloko party | 1 |
Communists of Russia party | 0,4 |
Party of Growth | 0,2 |
Russian Party of Pensioners for Social Justice | 0,2 |
Another party | 1 |
None | 13 |
Don’t know | 45 |
Based on what you have heard and you know, what party would you consider a party that encourages to create more jobs? (% of respondents, open-ended question, not more than 2 answers) | |
| % of total respondents |
United Russia party | 19 |
KPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) | 7 |
LDPR (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) | 5 |
A Just Russia-Patriots – For Truth party | 3 |
Another | 2 |
No such party | 18 |
Don’t know | 53 |