21.02.2008 // Information Department of Leningrad NPP

“Energetik” sports and culture complex is still open for Sosnovy Bor residents

… even though its status has been changed by the order of the director of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant V.Lebedev “On the Functional Purpose of the Building of the Sports and Culture Complex.”

The first point of the order stipulates establishment of a physical therapy department of “Kopanskoye” sanatorium on the basis of the complex. In fact, the order of Lebedev has changed nothing in the functional purpose of the complex. The key purpose of the complex has always been cultivation of health lifestyle among the employees of Leningrad NPP and residents of Sosnovy Bor. And physical culture, as you may know, is the key component of healthy lifestyle.

Rosenergoatom Concern gives top priority to the health of its employees: morally and physically healthy and well-trained personnel are guarantee of safety and efficiency. Rosenergoatom Concern has an efficient medical system, which keeps a constant eye on each of its employees. The system is based on the principle of regular medical examinations: employees are examined before each shift and mission. Besides, each plant has a psycho-physical health laboratory, which examines its employees on a regular basis.

The above types of medical control are just one part of the powerful health care system of the Concern. In the nuclear industry the health of people is not their personal business. Nuclear power plants set much tougher requirements to the health of their employees than any other company do. That’s why each employee of Leningrad NPP is obliged to recover his health in sanatoriums, particularly, in “Kopanskoye.”

The next point of the order says that from now on the employees of Leningrad NPP sent to “Kopanskoye” sanatorium for rehabilitation should undergo obligatory physical therapy – free of charge.

Besides, Lebedev has ordered to allot a special building for physical culture so that the employees of Leningrad NPP be physically ready for participation in international, regional and corporate sports and culture events.

The physical therapy of the employees of Leningrad NPP will be financed by the employer.

As you may see, the changes refer exclusively to the employees of the plant. For ordinary people, residents of Sosnovy Bor, the complex is open as before: for the same fee and at the same time. The complex has enough room for all visitors.

The order of Lebedev also has a point about coaches and instructors.

The point says that, even though the plant is not going to reduce its staff of coaches and instructors and will continue providing them with a wide package of social benefits, including non-government pensions, starting from Jan 1 2008, it will pay them only half of their wages with the rest to be earned from fees for paid services.

During a meeting with the coaches and instructors of the complex on Feb 15 the deputy director of Leningrad NPP N.Kirillov said that they had no right to raise the fee for their services to ordinary visitors. Kirillov suggested the following scenario as a way-out of the situation: the coaches and instructors of the complex may conclude contracts with non-profit organization, the club of employees of Leningrad NPP, and do their professional work without wasting time on business. 

“Perhaps, in the future the fee will be raised following inflation, but in the coming months it should not be changed,” Kirillov said.

So, the residents of Sosnovy Bor have nothing to be afraid of: they will enjoy the same services for the same fee: gyms, fitness equipment, a pool and the expertise of the coaches and instructors. Let’s hope that the latter will not be scared off by the new market relations with the owner.

We perfectly understand old people’s nostalgia of the Socialist times. But in 1992 you voted for the freedom of speech, democracy and market economy, didn’t you? And market economy is capitalist economy. And now you want Leningrad NPP to remain an island of Socialism in the sea of capitalist relations and to sail against the flow? Non-core assets are a capitalist term. Any company has facilities that are not engaged in production and give no profit but need a lot of money for existence: kindergartens, clubs, stadiums, sports complexes. The owner of such “assets” can hardly be competitive with such a burden on its shoulders.

The state has shown what one can do with such assets: it has refused to finance housing and public utilities, a sphere that produces nothing but consumes a lot. Our municipal authorities have followed this example and are getting rid of its non-core assets very actively, even of profitable ones. They have sold almost all they had, even shops and even the bath-house, the last joy of old people: now it is in the hands of a private proprietor and is too dear for ordinary people. Just imagine how “accessible” the sports and culture complex of Leningrad NPP would become if given to the municipal authorities! So, I think that the director of LNPP V.Lebedev was right when ordering to change the status of the complex. He did that for the benefit of the city and its residents. Leningrad NPP does its best to reduce the pains of capitalism for its employees and residents of Sosnovy Bor.

Ludmila Romanova