Budget crisis in Siberia: In Tuva, teachers are striking over low wages, while in the Irkutsk region, teachers are being laid off en masse.
Teachers in Tuva are demanding a pay review, while in the Irkutsk region, municipalities are cutting technical staff at schools, kindergartens, and community centers.
Teachers' salaries in Tuva and base salaries
Members of the All-Russian Trade Union of Education in Tuva done official appeal to the head of the region Vladislav Khovalygu — They demanded a review of the pay system. Basic salaries for teachers in the republic remain at around 12 thousands rubles. All compensation and incentive payments, as well as payment for overtime, are included in the "bringing wages up to the minimum wage."
According to educators, this equalizes the salaries of qualified teachers with those of unqualified workers, deprives them of incentives for development, and provokes a massive outflow of personnel.
Layoffs in schools and kindergartens in the Irkutsk region
In the neighboring Irkutsk area financial difficulties municipalities were brought to direct dismissals of teachers. Nizhneilimsky и Chunsky districts The authorities began to reduce the technical staff of schools, kindergartens, cultural centers and public utilities.
The first wave of optimization targeted night watchmen and stokers—four people per facility. District heads attribute the unpopular measures to a critical shortage of funds for essentials, including utility bills: “Otherwise we won’t even have money for electricity.”
Wages and wage arrears in the regions
Difficulties with wage payments and cost optimization in the regions are unfolding against the backdrop of deteriorating national statistics on payments.
Previously "NeMoscow" Wrotethat the total wage arrears at large and medium-sized enterprises in Russia increased by 18,9 % (on 385,3 млн rubles). By September 1, it exceeded 2,4 billionMore than half of this amount was accumulated in 2026 due to an acute shortage of organizations' own funds.
