said Veniamin Pinhasik, General Director of IDGC of the North-West at the meeting with the executive group of Karelenergo which took place during his working trip.

Talking about the final stage of reorganization of the grid complex companies, Veniamin Pinkhasik paid special attention to the conditions of Karelenergo’s joining JSC Interregional distributive company of the North-West, Joint-Stock Company and answered the questions of the executive group concerning production issues, structure, personnel policy, realization of social programs and many other aspects of the IDGC’s activity.

He also indicated the priority tasks that the employees of the grid complex will be dealing with already at the first stage of work. In his opinion, one of the main tasks is increase of labour capacity.

“Labour capacity will increase considerably if we all, from top managers down to ordinary workers, organise well our work. Naturally, if we manage to increase labour capacity, then our salaries will go up too”, said General Director of JSC IDGC of the North-West
According to the first executive of the operating company, optimization of number of employees in Karelenergo and in all DGC of IDGC of the North-West’s zone of responsibility will get away with overlap of duties in all spheres of the uniform company’s activity.

“At the same time salaries will not go down, said V.Pinkhasik. “Moreover, we are now considering different ways of increase of salaries of workers, specialists, and operating staff.
In spite of the fact that regions of the north-west distributive companies did not stipulate in the tariff salaries of first category workers equaling 3021 rubles, we will perform the obligations that were introduced within the limits of the trilateral agreement.

While addressing the group, V.Pinkhasik mentioned that Karelenergo will have to learn how to work as a subsidiary of the operating company.

“The task of the management is to organise effectively this work, and each specialist of the power energy company must strictly and effectively perform his duties.

During the meeting Veniamin Pinkhasik paid special attention to creation of conditions for safe work of the staff.

“Power industry is connected with danger for its employees and some people cannot work in power industry because of health, mental state and other factors. Thus, we are going to organise psychophysiological testing of the staff.

The management of the company decided that new employees will enter the company only after having passed special psychophysiological tests. This employment system will be introduced in 2008 in all subsidiaries of IDGC of the North-West.

The head company together with its subsidiaries will continue complex work on training of young specialists.

‘We may pay for education of future power men, pay allowance to those who will enter our company after graduation. However, we do this only in case young people are eager to get knowledge.

If a student gets only satisfactory marks, we won’t sponsor his or her education. What we need are competent specialists who work hard since their first days in the university or college”, said Veniamin Pinkhasik.

As for the technical policy of the operating company, General Director of IDGC of the North-West stressed that the head company is working out a uniform development strategy of North-West grid complex taking into account special features of the regions.

“We share opinion with DGC on a number of technical items, in particular, on equipment operation, use of regulated power supply, and use of wooden supports. We understand that the plans of technological construction and development introduced by specialists in Karelia are good, but they cannot be applied to the Murmansk Region because of climate, relief and other conditions. We will take this into account too.”

Rounding off the two-hour meeting with Karelenergo’s group, Veniamin Pinkhasik emphasized again: “Consumers are of topmost priority in our work. They must receive electric energy permanently and without breakdowns. This is the main task of the fourteen-thousand group of North-West grid complex that since Aprli 1, 2008 are going to be managed by the uniform operating company – IDGC of the North-West.”

In 2007 the companies of IDGC of the North-West directed 1, 258, 872 thous.rbl. to repairs of the  main equipment, that is 109% from the planned amount of financing.