"Changes must be balanced": the State Duma reacted to the initiative to reduce working weeks in the winter

In the State Duma proposed to reduce the working week in the winter. Member of the lower chamber of the parliament on the development of civil society, issues of public and religious associations, deputy Vitaly Milonov, made this initiative.

“When it’s dark time of the year so that people work an hour less. To make it easier for them, because they are so depressed that efficiency (coefficient of efficiency. - RT ) is generally zero. And so there will be a 100% efficiency factor, ”RIA Novosti quotes him.

Milonov added that this idea will be worked out with specialists and professional communities.

“Naturally, we want to discuss this so that a professional opinion of specialists in the field of occupational health and medical specialists is formed. As a matter of how useful it will be to increase efficiency, ”he stressed.

This idea was not supported by the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs, Mikhail Terentyev. Nevertheless, he noted that if trade unions and employers support the reduction of the working week in the winter time, the initiative will be considered.

“Any idea can be realized if it is supported by trade unions and employers. Because any changes to the labor code should be balanced. A balanced character determines the tripartite commission, which includes the government, trade unions and employers. But in general, I do not support this idea, ”he told RT.

So, Terentyev reminded that some Russian regions live in conditions of polar day and night, when dark or light time lasts for several months. The deputy indicated that in this aspect the initiative is not worked out.

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Reducing the working day will not have a strong impact on people's health, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, Natalya Sanina, is convinced. In a conversation with RT, she stressed that it is more important to engage in concrete measures of assistance.

“Health will actually be affected by going through clinical examinations, medical examinations and exercising one’s health. In many countries they work very intensively, but at the same time they take care of their health very seriously - in the same Japan. The average lifespan is great. They are struggling with smoking, overweight, vaccinating, ”she said.

It is worth noting that if this initiative is implemented, people will be faced with an increase in the working week at the end of winter. At the same time, according to the head of the department of somnology at the Federal Research and Clinical Center for Otorhinolaryngology of the FMBA (FGBU NCC of Otorhinolaryngology of the FMBA of Russia) Alexander Melnikov, the effect of day length does not affect human health so much.

“That is, naturally, during working day, when there is a higher illumination, a person’s activity and his ability to do some work increases. But it is not so important to significantly change the schedule of work and rest. And in fact, of course, I do not take any economic issues that will be associated with a reduction in working hours, but there is no proper physiological basis under such a proposal, ”he told RT.

Clock translation

Recall that in March of this year, deputy Andrei Baryshev introduced a bill to return the seasonal time transfer. According to the parliamentarian, this would allow to increase the light day and reduce the risk of depression.

"Sunlight during sleep and its lack of wakefulness provoke health problems such as insomnia, depression and mental disorders, obesity, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and other diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle," - said in an explanatory note.

Time relocation for the seasons was canceled in 2011. This decision was due to the fact that the need to adapt when translating hours caused stress for the body.

“We will not switch to winter; we will once again experience trouble, because the transition to summer time is always a decrease in sleep by one hour, but after this the trouble will end. At the same time, we will have a prolonged bright day, ”said Dmitry Medvedev, then President of Russia, who was then President of Russia.

In the United Russia faction, of which Baryshev is a member, they said that the draft law was not coordinated, as required by the regulations. In such situations, as a rule, the party does not support the initiative, said First Deputy Head of the faction Andrei Isaev.

“This bill was not discussed with the faction. It was not considered as coordinating or by any of the expert councils. The notification of the faction, according to the regulations, the colleague Andrei Baryshev also did not do, ”he said.