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.
