Let's stay home: Tatarstan's industrial giants taking a week off

Tatneft will continue to produce oil but will isolate workers at a suburban base

Large industrial enterprises of Tatarstan one after another have announced the suspension of production in connection with the announcement of the non-working week in the country. The first news about special measures to prevent the coronavirus was published by Tatneft. Already at 7.30 am, it posted a statement about switching to a special mode of operation. As expected, Tatneft does not stop oil production and refining for a single day. The company's management found an alternative to strict quarantine measures. From now on, all employees engaged in a continuous cycle and in life-support enterprises will be isolated from external contacts and settled on the suburban base of children's camps and sanatoriums of Tatneft. At the end of the working shift, they will not return home, but go to the sanatorium.

“The plan of measures implemented at Tatneft is aimed at preventing the spread of infection at oil production and refining enterprises that are strategically important for the country's energy security and involve continuous production," the company said in the statement. “Also, enterprises that ensure the functioning of socially important infrastructure and supply the region with gas, heat, and water are being transferred to a special mode of operation.”

Those who are switching to the special mode of operation will be fully provided with material and technical resources, food, medical and other means, according to the press service of Tatneft. The staff will be tested for COVID-19. The buildings and structures where people will work and relax will be decontaminated. “Employees transferred to work in isolation mode will receive an additional payment for special working conditions," the message reads. Let us remind that the enterprises of Tatneft Group employ more than 22,400 people (according to SPARK-Interfax system). Those who work in the office are transferred to remote work.

KAMAZ will temporarily stop the conveyor

By 10:00 am, KAMAZ had reported that it was leaving for quarantine. As follows from the press service of the automobile plant, CEO of KAMAZ Sergey Kogogin signed the order to suspend production of cars until 3 April 2020.

“The upcoming week from March 30 to 3 April 2020 is declared non-working for KAMAZ. The company's entire staff will be employed on paid long weekends, with the exception of the minimum number of employees engaged in work that cannot be suspended due to production and technical conditions," the report says. Today, the plant's staff is busy preparing for the temporary closure of the conveyor, the press service of the automobile plant told Realnoe Vremya.

The automobile plant employs more than 30,000 employees (according to SPARK-Interfax system).

Kazanorgsintez supported the decision on a non-working week

The decision to introduce a non-working week was supported by the executive directorate of Kazanorgsintez PJSC. According to the press service, formally, the decree of the president of the Russian Federation 'On declaring non-working days in the Russian Federation' of 25 March 2020 does not apply to “continuously operating organizations”, which include Kazanorgsintez PJSC. According to the explanations of the relevant ministries, the company should continue working as usual.

However, taking into account the seriousness of the situation, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection and ensure maximum protection of the health of the company's employees, the executive directorate of Kazanorgsintez PJSC decided to switch the company to the weekend mode. In other words, the production process will not be stopped, but other activities will be stopped before April 5.

Thus, for most of the staff, the week from March 30 to April 5 will be non-working. At the same time, the employee's income will be preserved: the salary — in full, the bonus part — in full in accordance with the regulations on bonuses. The automobile plant employs more than 30,000 employees (according to SPARK-Interfax system).

Rostec has suspended the work of aviation enterprises of Kazan

The entire cluster of machine-building enterprises in Kazan is also moving to a week-long self-isolation. These are Kazan Helicopters plant (more than 5,000 people) and Kazan Aircraft Production Association (more than 5 thousand people), which are part of Rostec Group. At the same time, Kazan Motor-Building Production Association, which belongs to the Tatarstan state holding Svyazinvestneftekhim, also reported about the week-long weekend. Despite the different shareholders, these companies independently decided to stop production.

“KMPO JSC on the basis of the decree of the president of the Russian Federation as of 25.03.2020 No. 206 'On the declaration of non-working days in the Russian Federation' in order to ensure the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population of the country will suspend production from March 30 to April 5, 2020," the press service of the enterprise reported. “All employees will go on paid weekends, except for the minimum number of employees engaged in operations that cannot be stopped for technological reasons. The company complies with all measures recommended by Rospotrebnadzor and the ministry of healthcare.”

The general position was stated by the press service of Rostec State Corporation. “We are not talking about a complete shutdown of production," the message says. “One shouldn't forget that Rostec is a defense industrial company that ensures the execution of the state defense order and solves many other issues in the field of national security. But all necessary measures will be taken to protect people, including transferring people to home mode.”

Rostec points out that a large number of enterprises within the corporation are engaged in the production of pharmaceutical products and medical equipment, which is especially urgently needed for healthcare today. “Our facilities also produce thermal imagers for remote detection of people with high body temperature in public areas, infrared thermometers, air disinfection units, artificial ventilation devices, as well as defibrillators, syringe dispensers, anaesthetic and respiratory devices, etc.

You are aware of the task set by the state to promptly equip Russian clinics with the necessary equipment. Therefore, it is out of the question to stop these productions now. We do our best to provide the regions with the necessary medical equipment in full and in the shortest possible time. The first deliveries have already started.”

Whether the companies will incur any financial costs, none of the companies reported. The Tatarstan ministry of industry and trade could not be reached for comment.

Shamil Ageyev: "90% of them will not go to work”

“Everyone is now preparing for a non-working week, so it is easier to say how many enterprises will not stop," says the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Shamil Ageev. "90% will not go to work. Most likely, the continuous cycle enterprises will continue to work, that is, those who are fulfilling the state defence order.”

“The tax authorities can't really say anything (about deferred tax payments)," he laments. “Of course, these measures are necessary, but then you will still have to pay. Obviously, we need some other moments.”