9 January, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The best employer has been named for the first time in Vitebsk, a BELTA correspondent reports from the award ceremony for the city prize laureates. More than 30 Vitebsk enterprises, both private and state-owned, took part in the competition, which was established by the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, the public association "Association of Employers and Entrepreneurs" of the Vitebsk Region, and one of the city's online job resources. As Zinaida Koroleva, Deputy Chairperson of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, noted at the award ceremony, the city prize is designed to promote the development of civilized labor relations, improve the image of employers in the regional center, and contribute to increasing the social responsibility of business. According to her, the prize will be awarded annually. Strict conditions were imposed on the contenders for the title of the best employer: only those organizations that had no cases of industrial injury during the year, no wage arrears, no arrears in payments to the budget and the Social Protection Fund of the Population were eligible to participate in the competition. The evaluation criteria also included the wage level, staff turnover rates, expenses for professional training and skills development of employees, and the availability and variety of social packages. Employers earned additional points for an active advertising campaign and even for organizing leisure activities for their employees. In four nominations, determined by the number of employees, the winners were the tour company "Ilva", private enterprises "Vitstroytekhmash", "Vik-veterinary medicine", and the republican unitary enterprise "Vitebsk Distillery "Pridvinye". Seven city enterprises became laureates of the competition, holding second and third places. Winners and laureates were awarded commemorative signs and diplomas. They also received the right to display the badge of distinction "Best Employer of Vitebsk 2012" on their corporate websites, advertising and informational materials. According to the Department of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, in the regional center, there are approximately two vacancies for every unemployed person registered with the employment service, about 80% of which are for blue-collar jobs. City enterprises are experiencing an acute shortage of seamstresses, workers of all construction specialties, cooks, and sales assistants.-0-

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