The conflict in Ukraine continues to reconfigure not only Geopolitics and the European Budgetsbut it will also change the working day of thousands of Russian workers. Avtovaz, one of Russia’s biggest car manufacturers, has announced that it will apply the four -day work week As of September.
According to The published by Reutersthis is not a measure oriented to Improve productivity or reduce the stress levels of its workers, but adopts this measure in the middle of a strong fall in vehicle sales, a crisis of consumption due to the wear of the invasion of Ukraine and a growing pressure of exports of Chinese cars.
Russia does not sell cars. Avtovaz, is the manufacturer of the acquaintances Lada. After the first months of the Ukraine War, the Russian Automobile Industry lived a brief increase in defense expense and state subsidies. However, according to data from Reutersthis situation has begun to revert quickly. Avtovaz explained through a statement sent to Russian media that their sales fell 25% in the first semester, with only 155,481 units sold, and estimates that this will be the tendency for the entire source year.
Avtovaz is not the only one to consider the four -day work week as a measure for shock the crisis of the sector. According to The local pressthe Russian manufacturer Gaz (Gorkovski Avtomobilny Zavod) will also apply the four -day week on his Gorki plant, for the same reasons that Avtovaz argued. Russia’s own Minister of Economy, Maxim Reschetnikov, He warned in June that the country “is on the verge of entering recession.” Avtovaz, as a reflection of this crisis, wants to use the letter of reduction of the work week as a way of maintaining employment without increasing the number of layoffs in difficult times.
No money to make them or to buy them. According to published The Moscow Times“The final decision on the introduction of a reduced work week of four days will be taken based on the results of an analysis of market trends and economic factors, including the level of the key interest rate and the availability of credit products,” said the manufacturer’s statement.
The main reason that has uncontrolled this crisis (in addition to being a derivative of the conflict in Ukraine), has been the increase in interest rates, which slows so much production Like consumption. “We are talking about a high key rate and more severe demands by the regulator for those facilitating cars loans,” Avtovaz explained in his statement collected.
The impact of high types not only feels Avtovaz. The Russian giant of the Seversal Steel, pointed outthat “the high basic rate and low prices” were responsible for a 55% drop in their benefits in the second quarter of the source year. That is, as I know money is expensivecompanies lose profitability and citizens purchasing power to buy cars that are manufactured, generating a chain effect that complicates economic recovery.
Chinese cars are unstoppable. To the already complicated economic crisis of the automobile sector worldwide, the massive emergence of imported cars from China is added, which sell their products at such low prices that Avtovaz directly accuses a “price dumping policy.” According to company sources these marches, mostly Chinese, are increasing the market pressure with very small prices to give out more than 400,000 cars that these importers have stored in their dealers and have not yet sold.
Gaz starts already, Avtovaz leaves it for September. Russian Fuentes assure that Gorki de Gaz’s factory will implement the four -day work week immediately. From July 21 to August 3, the employees of this plant will enjoy their vacations normally. During this period, several divisions of the plant will continue to operate according to their work schedule. Once they finish, the four -day work week will be implemented at least until the end of August.
Avtovaz indicates that it is still analyzing the way to implement the measure, so it will enter into force for September in the factory that the company has in Togliatti, in which one in 20 inhabitants of this city works.
You know what it is to work four days. Although it is not done for the reasons for productivity and well -being improvement That this model of day is usually applied, this is not the first time that Avtovaz resorts to the reduced working day to deal with a crisis.
In 2022, just after the imposition of First international sanctions To Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, the company implemented a four -day work week for three months. During that same year, the sales of its flagship model, the Lada, fell 48.2%, until 174,688 units, according to data publishedby The New Voice of Ukraine.
On that occasion, four -day work week served to maintain a certain level of production In an adverse scenario. Today, three years later, economic conditions remain equally complicated, so companies re -apply the same recipe.
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Image | Lada, Unspash (Sten Rademaker)
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