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Putin urges Russian business to show more social responsibility

MOSCOW, November 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's president said Tuesday that business in the country has improved its sense of social responsibility, and that the state has learned to properly respond to antisocial behavior by the business community.

Speaking at a session of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions, Vladimir Putin said: "It is true, business has become much more responsible than in the beginning, in the mid-1990s. The state, too, has toughened its response to businesses' antisocial behavior."

But Putin admitted a "cynical attitude" to employees is difficult to overcome.

He said it was premature and even harmful to think that a pie has already been baked, and that it is now time to start dividing it up.

"If division [of the pie] was our overriding concern, we would not be talking about pensions, demographics, housing or agricultural problems," he said.

Putin has been repeatedly urging the Russian business community to show a greater sense of social responsibility and get more closely involved in implementing Russia's national priority projects to improve living standards.