South Ossetia tackles unemployment by clamping down on dual employment

Many residents of the republic have already lodged complaints with the President of South Ossetia Anatoly Bibilov.

Speaking on local television, the president said that some department heads incorrectly interpreted his order.

“I have the impression that many department heads approached this order as an opportunity to deal with personal issues, and did not understand what we wanted from them. My demand is to start not with cleaners, janitors and orderlies, but with themselves, with management,” Anatoly Biblov said.

Moreover, cases where someone is found to be dually employed will be assessed on an individual basis. If, for example, an individual’s income is less than 15 000 roubles [about USD 200], he or she will not be dismissed.

The labour legislation of the country stipulates that an individual may be dually employed only if:

• for their second job they do not receive more than half the salary of their primary job;
• the second job does not interfere with the first;
• a person is involved in creative, scientific or pedagogical activities, on the condition that these activities do not interfere with their primary job.

An inspection in one organisation revealed that of the 150 employees, 75 were aged 76 and over.

According to the South Ossetian authorities, 700 jobs could be freed up as a result of the inspections.

Toponyms and terminology used by the author, as well as views, opinions and strategies expressed by them are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of JAMnews or any employees thereof. JAMnews reserves the right to delete comments it considers to be offensive, inflammatory, threatening or otherwise unacceptable