1.   But he had to field questions from angry Russians about their meagre salaries and pensions and problems stretching from corruption to drug abuse.

2.   But there are also police and soldiers who erect road-blocks throughout the countryside, stopping cars and extorting money from passengers to augment their meagre salaries.

3.   Drugs such as antibiotics, absent from the government hospitals, are readily available here -- sold to traders by doctors and nurses supplementing their meagre salaries.

4.   Many deputies are too busy trying to earn a living to supplement their meagre salaries to have time to attend parliamentary sessions.

5.   Morever, workers would also be prepared to sacrifice overtime used to augment their meagre salaries, to aid job creation.