DOCUMENT RESUME ED 076 821 VT 020 200 AUTHOR Nash, Edmund TITLE Labor in the U.S.S.R. INSTITUTION Bureau of Labor Statistics (DOL), Washington, D.C. REPORT NO BLS-R-414 PUB DATE Oct 72 NOTE 55p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS *Employment Practices; *Foreign Countries; Government (Administrative Body); Labor Economics; *Labor Force; *Labor Unions; Working Women IDENTIFIERS *Soviet Union ABSTRACT This collection includes 11 articles on labor conditions in the Soviet Union prepared in the Division of Foreign Labor Conditions since 1969. The articles, most of which appeared in the division's monthly publication, "Labor Developments Abroad" and in the "Monthly Labor Review," include: (1) "The Fifteenth Congress of the Soviet Trade Unions,"(2) "Economic and Labor Data for 1971," (3) "Trade Union Functions Extended," (4) "The Party Issues a Decision on Socialist Competition," (5)"Public Employment Office Experiment," (6)"Soviet Labor Policies of the 24th Party Congress," (7) "Purchasing Power of Workers in the Soviet Union," (8)"Migration of Labor in the Soviet Union," (9) "The Status of Women in the U.S.S.R.," (10) "New Disciplinary Measures," and (11) "The International Labor Organization, Yesterday and Today." (SB) 4 II I S 41 a FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY U 5 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO OUCEO EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORR, 1NATING 17 POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN IONS STATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EOU CATION POSITION OR POLICY 41Ik AS MIL so 0 . 6 , ' . III aalLm A' .- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR James D. Hodgson, Secretary BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Geoffrey H. Moore, Commissioner October 1972 Preface This collection includes the moreimportant articles on labor conditions in the Soviet Unionprepared in the Division of ForeignLabor Conditions (DFLC) since the appearance in July 1969 of the previous collection, Labor in the U.S.S.R. in the (BLS Report 358). Mostof thearticles appeared Division's monthly publication, Labor Developments Abroad The first (LDA) and in theMonthly Labor Review (MLR). the article in this collection, "TheFifteenth Congress of Soviet Trade Unions," is published for the first time be- cause LDA, for which it was scheduled, ceased publication steps in with theJanuary 1972 issue, as one of the first the liquidationof the Divisionby the end of June 1972. The last article, "The Soviet Attitudeto the I.L.O.," was prepared in response to a request from the Bureauoe Inter- national Labor Affairs in the Department of Labor. All the articles were preparedby Edmund Nash in the Division of Foreign Labor Conditions. Contents Page The Fifteenth Congress of the Soviet Trade Unions 1 U.S.S.R. Economic and Labor Data for 1971 8 U.S.S.R. Trade Union Functions Extended 10 U.S.S.R. The Party Issues a Decision on Socialist Competition 13 U.S.S.R. Public Employment Office Experiment 15 Soviet Labor Policies of the 24th Party Congress 17 Purchasing Power of Workers in the Soviet Union 24 U.S.S.R. Migration of Labor in the Soviet Union 31 The Status of Women in the U.S S R 38 U.S.S.R. New Disciplinary Measures 44 The International Labor Organization, Yesterday and Today 45 The Fifteenth Congress of the Soviet Trade Unions ihe 15th Congress of thu Soviet trade the Government, especially under the unions convened in Moscow March 20-24, economic reformof 1966-68, 2/ and by 1972. TheCongress was attended by the decree of September 27, 1971, which nearly all the 4,925 delegates elected extended the functions of the executive by the country's 25 tradeunions which committee of a trade union local. 3/ --are organized by industry and have over The basic rights and functions of 98 million members. The previous con- Soviet trade unions are defined in gress was held 4 years ago in February- chapter XII of the July 15, 1970 law on March 1968; 1/ but future congresses, the "fundamental principles governing as provided by an amendment to the trade the labor legislation of the U.S.S.R. union constitution adoptedby the 15th and the Union Republics." 4/ In short, Congress, are to be held at 5-year in- the law states that the right of work- tervals, to correspond with the 5-year ers "to associate to form trade unions economic plan periods. is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Takingpart in the Congress as ob- U.S.S.R.": that trade unions elect their servers, in response to invitations, officers, who are protected against ar- were delegations or individuals repre- bitrary action by the management; that senting 137 trade union organizations unions have the right to submit draft in 103 countries and nine international labor laws, and that the unions have organizations, including the Inter- the right to participate in the prepara- national LaborOrganization, the All- tion of State economic development plans African Trade Union Federation, the In- and in the managcatent of production. ternational Confederation of Arab Trade Annual collective agreements are con- Unions, the Permanent Congress of Trade cluded by trade union locals and manage- Union Unity of Workers in Latin America, ment spelling out theirobligations and the World Federation of Trade Unions (the latest available data indicate that (which the Soviet trade unions helped fewer than 20 percent of the locals meet to establish and of which they are the the legal requirements for concluding .largest affiliate). collective agreements). The law also The Congress of Trade Unions is the states that trade unions have the respon- supremeauthorityon trade union mat- sibility for checking on (1) the imple- ters. Between congresses, the All- mentationof labor legislation and in- UnionCentral Council of Trade Unions dustrial safety regulations, and (2) (AUCCIU) implements the policies adopted the adequaCy of housing and other serv- by the last congress, exercises control ices provided to workers. The trade over all trade unionorganizations and unions administer the State social se- activities, and collaborates with the curity system. Government on matters, concerning labor. Despite these legal provisions, Soviet Nature of Soviet trade unions trade unionsare notfree and inde- pendent unions in the western sense. No As at previous congresses, the speeches independent trade union localmay be and reports of Communist Party and trade formed outside the existing hierarchical union leaders at the 15th Congress indi- trade union system. No trade union may cated that Soviet trade unions are as- declare a strike. The tradeunions do signed clearly defined functions to not bargain with management for higher further not only workers' welfare but wages, longervacations, or shorter also the ideological and economic aims hours of work because these are fixed by of the State. During recent years, law; trade unions merelycheck on the these functions have been increased by proper applicationof the laws dealing 1 2 LABOR IN THE U.SS.R. with these matters. However, because The credentials committee of the 15th trade union membershipbrings special Congress reportedconcerning the 4,925 benefits, only in unusual circumstances delegates that 61.9 percent wereCom- do workers fail to become members. For munist Party members or candidates for example, a trade unionmember is en- membership (Partymembers constitute titled to highersocial insurance pen- only about 15 percent of ...he unionmem- sions and haspreference in receiving bership), 57.9 percent had been elected passes to health resorts and sanatoriums. for the first time, 50.3 percent were His children have priority in being ac- manual workers, 40.2 percent were women, cepted in nurseries and summer camps. 3,012 had been rewarded with medals and Union dues rangefrom about 0.7 to 1.0 other decorations, 2,402had been awarded percent of earnings; the higher rate the title, "Shockworkerof Communist applies to earnings above70 rubles Labor," 700 represented agricultural (US$84) a month.Every wage and salary workers, 18'.* represented scientific earnerin an enterprise, including the workers, 113 were managersof enter- manager, is eligible rfor union member- prises, and 32 were chairmen of collec- ship. tive farms. 9/ Trade union statistics Trade union historical background Since the average number of wage and The trade union movement, which barely salary earners 'in 1971 was 92.7 mil- survived under the tsars, first re- lion 5/ and the announced trade union ceived legal recognition in Russia dur- membership is "over 98 million," it ing the Revolutionof 1905, when the would appear that collectivefarmers tsarist government was engaged in a and students account for much more than losing warwith Japan. By 1907, trade the 5.3 milliondifference, since not union membership grewto 245,334, but all wage andsalary earners areunion government repression had begun, so that members (just 96.3 percent were members membership declined to 35,000 in 1910 on July 1, 1967).6/ Everycollective and to about 5,000 on January 1, 1916. farm now has a trade union local, com- After the overthrow of the tsarist gov- prising mechanics and agricultural ernment on February 28, 1917, membership specialists; "about 3 million" collec- rocketed to 1.5 millionby July 1917, tive farmers are union members. 7/ (The and when the first all-RusSian Trade annualaverage number of collective UnionCongress met in January 1918, farmers in 1971 was 16.5 million.) nearly3 months after the Communist Directly under the controlof the (Bolshevik) seizure of power, there were AUCCTU are the 25 central committees of 2.6 million members. 10/ At this Con- the 25 Soviet trade unions. There are gress, the Bolshevikscontrolled the about 2,000 regional unioncommittees, majorityof _ne delegates and gained 19,000city union committees, and permanent control of the union movement.