‘Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation is planning to make 500 managers, experts, and lower-level employees redundant. This is done within the framework of our personnel optimization program. The workers will be offered the positions of machine-tool operators, crane drivers, press operators, core makers, electrical/gas welders, and so on, with the training provided by our employee training department on the plant’s premises,’ the company’s official press release says.

‘In order to protect our younger workers and to ease the socioeconomic tension at the plant and in town, we suggest that our retirement-age workers leave of their own accord. They will receive three months’ salary as severance pay. As of January 1, 2010, our company had 2,403 workers who have already reached retirement age. 811 of them have left by March 16, 2010. Among these employees were 338 managers, experts, and lower-level employees,’ says the plant’s Deputy GD for Personnel Svetlana Ivanilova.