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Thursday, January 31, 2008

Equity, Elitism and Electeds: NUNS MP Talks About Pay



If we compare today’s minimum [monthly] wage of about 500 hryvnias [$99] with the MP’s salary of almost 14,000 hryvnias [$2,772], the differential will be tremendous, right? But if we compare it with what we have in Kyiv — with what a person with adequate education and training can make — it becomes clear that it’s not so big.

— MP Pavlo Zhebrivsky, NUNS


First, it’s the people of Ukraine — not the people of Kyiv, Kharkiv or Mariupol — who hired you for the job. If the nationwide minimum wage provides such a poor benchmark, how can we talk about “one law for all?”

Second, if we solely focus on the Kyiv job market, our pay survey should also include medical doctors, college professors, school teachers and other public employees, many of whom make even less than $500 a month. Don’t they have any education and training?

Third, if we base our equity theory solely on the pay scales of midlevel Kyiv-based corporate Ukraine, we should look into the local purchasing power of $2,772. Can a household with a monthly income of $2,772 buy a home in Kyiv?

Fourth, if only that monthly MP income of $2,772 (not to mention the benefits package) could put the brakes on parliamentary corruption, I’m sure taxpayers would be happy to pay the price. But are there any brakes?

Apparently, some of our representatives need to get their Hay points straight.

Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/74982.html

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

"But if we compare it with what we have in Kyiv ..."

Why stop there? Why not compare ti with what Ukrainians earn abroad??? Heck, the government has proven its efficiency at getting people to move on out and up in the world! Why not continue until you only have the elderly, children, politicians and expats residing in the country???

;=[
(I do not know what the emoticon stands for if anything, as my kitten typed it by walking across the keyboard but I left it because I like it and think it looks cool. :)

Luida

Taras said...

Your kitten may actually outperform some of our politicians on computer skills:)

In Ukraine’s “knowledge economy,” it’s who you know — not what you know — that matters most.

And as for MP Zhebrivsky, he probably knows quite a few big shots. However, he seems to have a rather vague idea of the wheres, whys and whos of his employment. Well, he's not the only one.

Michelle said...

Excellent, excellent, excellent points......

Taras said...

Thank you, Michelle!:)

Anonymous said...

Ahem -

Ummm, isn't there a more obvious question?

Like - WHY SHOULD THEY GET PAID ANYTHING AT ALL?

THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DOING ANYTHING.

Heck, I'd be willing to stand in front of the rostrum and mill about and block it for that kind of money.

Taras said...

Good question, Elmer!

Btw, the Rada opens today for its first day of "work" after winter vacation.

This season promises to be a fiesta of stonewalling and do-nothingism.