Dear friends,

January has passed and the days are becoming longer. With the bright sun, it became clear that Spring is coming soon! The beginning of the year is the time for planning, so almost all SPIBA committees held working group meetings to discuss areas of new activity and set plans for 2014.

On January 28, in connection with the adoption of the federal law on special assessment of conditions of work, the Committee on Human Resources and Industrial Committee of SPIBA on January 28 held a joint meeting on the changes in labor law and legislation on labor protection. The event aroused great interest among SPIBA members. From the business side, Alexander Ekimov, Industrial and Fire Safety and Civil Defense, OJSC “Baltika Brewery” gave the employer’s perspective on the this topic.  We also heard from an expert of the Institute of Industrial Safety, Labour Protection and Social Partnership – Sergey Tsutsiev, Director of the Center of Assessment of Working Conditions. Anna Gavrilova, Associate, Baker & McKenzie, summed up the event and spoke about the latest developments of labor law: compensations for harmful work conditions, quotas for the disabled, employers’ liability and other matters. Photographs from the event can be viewed in the gallery on our website.

On January 30 members of the association gathered in the SPIBA office to discuss the project UpsalaAir – summer weekends in the business park Benoit. The aim of the project is to create a green area on the Neva riverside in the business space “Polyustrovo” (also known as “Business Centre Benoit”), a single art space of Upsala Circus for active, warm and healthy leisure time for the family audience. A space for the whole family, free from smoking, alcohol and garbage will be created where adults and children will cook at a big table, juggle with the masters, relax and breathe fresh air. UpsalaAir is a program of activities designed for the whole summer. Thematic entertainment and learning for the whole family will be organized every Saturday. Activities will include circus workshops; feasts from restaurants in the city at a common long table; meetings with the best artists and musicians; and circus schools and workshops reflecting important social themes.

English Speaking Club has renewed its activity in the new year, so we invite all who want to speak English in a positive and welcome atmosphere, every Wednesday at 7 pm in our office! We look forward to summer and the sun, and in the meantime hope to see you at the events in February!