News Release
21.01.2010
Dmitry Medvedev has signed the Law “On social guarantees for staff of law enforcement agencies”. Millions of people with epaulets have long been waiting for this law. The new law has become one of the final stages of the large-scale reform of the MOI system. This was the stage when vital problems were solved both for those who wear police uniform and for their families. How much will a police officer earn? Will he be able to buy decent housing? How will his pension change?
The details of the aforesaid and many other aspects of the social package for police officers under the new law are in â the exclusive interview of Deputy Minister of the Interior / State Secretary of the MOI Sergey Bulavin to “Rossiiskaya Gazeta” .
Rossiiskaya Gazeta: Sergey Petrovich, what is the fundamental essence of the new law?
Sergey Bulavin: Along with the Federal Law “On Police”, as well as the law on the service in internal affairs agencies, which is currently being prepared, this law will constitute the complex legal support of the ongoing reform of the MOI. It is important to emphasize that the provisions of the law on social guarantees apply not only to police officers, but also to all officers of internal affairs agencies in general.
Furthermore, probably for the first time in modern history the legal regulation of social guarantees for officers of internal affairs agencies, instead of sometimes disintegrated and contradictory regulatory legal acts of substatutory level, acquires the status of a federal law.
This is the first comprehensive social act in the law enforcement sphere at the level of a federal law. The law builds up a new model of social security for police; it lays the foundation for increasing the prestige of law enforcement profession.
The law on social guarantees covers all aspects of life – from money allowance and pension to health care and social guarantees for families. It is crucial for us that the law drives from the dead-lock one of the most complicated and vital problems – the issue of housing.
During the development of the law, the special nature of police service, its increased risk and irregular working hours were taken into account. It means that not only does the law introduce new guarantees, but also consolidates the rules currently in force.
RG: All who the new law applies to are certainly interested, first of all, in salaries provided by it. What does the new law change?
Bulavin: The structure of money allowance of employees changes. It is brought to a new level, when the main part of the salary is money allowance, consisting, in its turn, of a salary attached to the position and a salary attached to the special rank, which constitutes approximate half of the money allowance.
The number of additional payments is optimized up to 8 kinds, while the legislation previously in force provided to about forty kinds of payments. Not only will such measure harmonize the structure of money allowance, but also, which is the most important, will increase the amount of pensions, which are calculated, as is known, on the base of money allowance and increment for length of service.
RG: What additional payments may police officers reckon on?
Bulavin: Under the new law, the following additional payments are offered to employees:
monthly increment to the rate of monetary allowance for length of service (seniority) – depending on the length of services, from 10% to 40% of money allowance;
monthly increment to the salary attached to the position for the qualification title – from 5% to 30% of money allowance;
monthly increment to the salary attached to the position for special conditions of service is established in the amount of up to 100% of money allowance;
monthly increment to the salary attached to the position for work with information that is a state secret, depending on the level of secrecy will amount up to 65% of money allowance;
bonuses for conscientious performance of duties are calculated on the base of 3 money allowances;
incentive payments for outstanding achievements in service and increment for accomplishment of tasks associated with increased risk to life and health in peacetime – up to 100% of money allowance;
regional rates for service in highlands, deserted and arid areas, as well as in other territories with unfavorable climatic or environmental conditions and in the Extreme North.
Besides, the law provides that regulatory legal acts may establish other additional payments and increments.
RG: How much will it be in the box “amount in writing”?
Bulavin: Taking into account the targeted increase in the amount of money allowance and salaries attached to special ranks, the said payments in absolute figures will be substantially higher than now. Thus, for example, the money allowance of a Lieutenant of Police will be at least 33 rubles per month, and taking into account additional payments, is will amount to about 45,000 rubles.
RG: What is waiting for veterans of internal affairs agencies and those who are going to retire?
Bulavin: Allowances for pensioners of internal affairs agencies re supposed to be recalculated in accordance with new salaries of acting employees. They will be calculated basing on 54% of the salary attached to the position, the special rank and the increment for length of service, including payments due to the indexation of money allowance. Starting from January 1, 2013 pensions will annually increase by 2 per cent up to the level of 100 per cent.
For the benefit of all categories of pensioners the rates of pension recalculation will be unified both for those who will be dismissed starting from January 1, 2012, and those who retired previously. The average growth of pensions based on the parameters of money allowance is planned to be increased by 1.5-1.6 times.
RG: In one of your interview to our newspaper you said that about 10 per cent of employees of internal affairs agencies need improvement in housing conditions. Do they have any hope now?
Bulavin: The solution of the housing problem is one of the main provisions of the law. It provides for several variants of provision employees with housing:
providing a one-time social payment for direct purchase of housing or construction thereof;
construction at the expense of budget funding, as a result of which accommodation may be offered to employees either for ownership or under an agreement of subsidized municipal housing;
allocation of accommodation from reserves of specialized housing fund or providing money compensation for leas (sublease) of accommodation.
Starting from January 1, 2012, subsidies will be granted to employees with the length of service in internal affairs agencies 10 years and more for the purchase of housing. The law stipulates the procedure and conditions of housing allocation and establishes the authority of the MOI in this respect.
It is very important that the law retains and increases the rates of acquisition of housing by district police officers in the administrative district under their control. Besides, it provides for a flexible pattern of providing them with service housing or renting relevant premises both by a local agency of the MOI of Russia and by a local self-government body; the housing allocated for a district police officer is proposed to be purchased from such self-government body within five year.
RG: Police service is a dangerous occupation, various things can happen. Which guarantees for employees and members of their families are provided in the new law?
Bulavin: It proposes additional measures of social security to members of families of employees who died or are missing in the line of duty. This involves housing, monetary compensation of travel expenses to and from the place of treatment and the grave site, including places situated outside Russia, monthly allowances for children, payment for utility costs, as well other guarantees and compensations.
Children of deceased employees will be titled to noncompetitive nomination to Suvorov Military Schools and Cadet Corps, will have preferential rights to enter state educational institutions of secondary vocational education, state and municipal educational institutions of higher professional education. Among conceptually new provisions there are the fixation an increase of the amount of one-time payments and insurance premiums to compensate harm to health of officers of internal affairs agencies. In case of insurable events, these are approximately the following sums:
in case of serious injury – 5 (new) salaries; in case of minor injury – 2 salaries;
in case of death – 10 (new) salaries to each member of the family of a deceased employee;
in case of assessment of disability: to a disabled person of group I – 1.5 million rubles; to a disabled person of group II – 1 million rubles; to a disabled person of group III – 500,000 rubles.
If an employee dies in the line of duty, the one-time allowance may amount to 3 million rubles. If an employee gets an injury or other harm to health in the line of duty, he will receive up to 2 million rubles.
Besides, one-time allowances should be annually indexed based on the inflation level.
Extensive work on the drafting of by-laws was carried out in order to provide implementation of the provisions of the law on social guarantees. 16 Decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation have been developed so far.
These are brief news. I think that the purpose of this law is clear: the prestige of the profession, improvement of material and moral situation of employees.
RG: Many law enforcement officers will have to meet high requirements. They have something to lose.
Bulavin: The novelties also involve anti-corruption aspect. With a competitive salary, additional security and protection of the family, every employee will cherish it. Measures provided by the law are systematic and allow solving not only urgent problems. The main benefit we hope to get is that they will help attract highly qualified staff to internal affairs agencies, as well as retain those employees who have significant experience of service.
All this will enable law enforcement agencies to return the respect and trust of society and to achieve the situation when only the best and the most deserving candidates will be selected for the service.
«Rossiiskaya Gazeta»