Reports are emerging from Crimea of mass redundancies due to a fuel shortage
In occupied Crimea, the fuel crisis has begun to affect the labour market. Local residents are reporting mass redundancies, delays in pay and workers being sent on unpaid leave, according to TMT.
Under posts by Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed ‘head’ of occupied Crimea, residents of the peninsula are leaving numerous complaints about the deteriorating economic situation. According to them, employers are delaying wages and asking staff to submit letters of resignation of their own accord.
A resident of Simferopol reported that drivers at the company SK ‘GRAD’ have had their May and June wages withheld. She also noted that some people have been sent on leave at their own expense.
Another Simferopol resident raised the issue of the tax burden, noting that her husband had worked in the transport sector, but due to the crisis, his vehicle is currently out of service and there is no income.
In Kerch, according to a local resident, employees have been asked to submit letters of resignation. Similar reports are also coming in from Yalta, Yevpatoria and other towns. People are reporting job cuts, falling incomes, business closures and difficulties in repaying loans and mortgages.
Small business owners, particularly those in the car repair and maintenance sector, are also reporting a sharp drop in customer numbers due to the fuel shortage. According to them, work has almost ground to a halt, and their ability to pay taxes and employees’ wages is dwindling.
Employees of the ‘TES’ petrol station chain have also reported employment problems. This week, they recorded a video appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that around 2,500 people are at risk of redundancy.
On 26 June, a state of emergency was declared in Crimea and Sevastopol. Sergey Aksyonov stated that this was necessary to swiftly resolve issues relating to the provision of essential services to the population. The state of emergency will remain in force until the situation improves.
Against this backdrop, problems with electricity and water supplies are also being reported in Crimea. Local residents are reporting disruptions to food supplies and restrictions on sales in shops.
In some supermarkets, customers are limited to buying no more than three bottles of vegetable oil and three packets of pasta per person. Reports of shortages of sugar, buckwheat, rice, flour and salt have also appeared on local Telegram channels.
