theme 4: social developments 1917-85 Flashcards
when were labour exchanges (job centres) set up
1918
Soviet government announces full employment in …
1930
when was minimum wage introduced + pension provision expanded
1956
expansion of the housing programme happened in
1956-65
when did the government reduce the working week
1957
working hours in 1956 vs 1958
1956: 48 hours per week
1958: 41 hours per week
when were regular wages introduced for collective farmers
1966
when was the work passport system extended to the rural population
1974
problems caused by Stalin’s push to industrialise (employment)
created full employment, no incentives for workers since they have a garunteed job
technology was old so everything had to be done by hand, there was a labour shortage
effects of civil war on workers
collapse of industrial production meant there was a drift of workers out of the countryside and into factory work where income was more reliable -> food shortages
people way fighting in civil war lead to shortage of workers -> many factories closed down
how did the government deal with shortage of workers during the civil war
issued a decree that forced people without employment to take any work offered to them
1918 -> war communism -> labour conscription
labour exchanges set up to supervise the hiring of workers
issue with the labour exchanges
many workers did not register for fear of being forced into a job they didn’t like
problems of the end of the civil war on the workforce
millions of discharged soldiers returned to civilian work
most of the women left their jobs for the returning men, leaving many homeless
food shortages in the countryside lead to a wave of workers and peasants coming into the cities
unemployment in 1926 was over a million
why did many women give up their jobs after there civil war
returning men were often better trained
seen as more important for men to provide for their family
discrimination in the workforce, 70% of those who were fired were female
perks of the end of the civil war on the workforce
NEP meant real wages started to rise for skilled workers
what are real wages
income expressed in terms of purchasing power as opposed to actual money received.
“what happens to real wages depends on changes in both money wages and prices”
features of the job market under the NEP
use of arteli in recruitment
growth in wage differentials (highest paid vs lowest paid)
“shock brigades” to work on construction projects
what were arteli
groups of workers, usually from the same trade, who offered their services as a group and were paid as a group. lead by older members who organised jobs and distributed pay based on arbitrary factors such as age and sometimes even beard length.
Government considered them a backward feature of the economy
number of hired workers in 1928 vs 1937
1928: 11.6 million
1937: 27 million
effects of the 5 year plans on the workforce
excessive targets meant factories had to employ extra workers
new factories and building works always opening -> lots of employment opportunities
because of high demand, by 1932 there were labour shortages
effects of full employment on the workers
swamping of old industrial workers by new peasant workers lead to divisions in the workplace
restrictions places on trade unions, no longer allowed to negotiate with managers –> poor working conditions
October 1930, unemployment benefit was cancelled -> trade unions left to provide social insurance such as compensation for injuries
low productivity, 1927 the average soviet worker produced 1/2 of what an average British worker produced
effects of labour shortages
workers who were unhappy with their jobs could easily find a new one, no one stayed in jobs long enough to properly learn the trade
how did the government combat labour shortages
1931: wage difference between skilled and unskilled workers increased
1932: internal passport introduced that was needed to change jobs, started distributing rations at the workplace so those in between jobs didn’t get them
1934: piecework introduced (paid by the amount you produce), however high wages were not a great incentive as there was little to buy in shops
1937: 30% of workers still charged jobs 4 times a year
bolshevik policy on housing in 1917
took big houses from rich people to partition and rent to the families of workers. meant to be assigned by need, rather they were mostly given to those higher up in the party.
not enough housing to meet the needs of all
effects of the 5 year plans on housing
enormous growth of towns put strain on housing. Housing given low priority whilst massive influx of workers meant demand was high
population of Moscow 1929 vs 1936
1929: 2.2 million
1936: 4.1 million
population of Magnitogorsk 1929 vs 1932
1929: 25
1932: 250,000
effects of housing not matching population growth during 5 year plans
workers slept in tents, makeshift huts, or in the factories they worked in
living conditions in 1936
only 6% of people rented units with more than 1 room
24% of workers only rented part of 1 room
5% lived in a kitchen or corridor
25% lived in dormitories
cost of renting
living costs were low, most families spent less than 8% of income on housing. however this did not make up for the fact that most lived without hot water or electricity
effects of WW2 on housing
Stalingrad lost 90% of housing
Leningrad lost 1/3 of housing during the siege of the city (1941-44)
who provided most social benefits for workers
trade unions
since they no longer had any real economic or political power they improved the lives of workers by organising sports facilities, meetings, and film shows
social benefits provided for workers by trade unions
given 2 weeks paid holiday, often taken on cheap subsidised vacations to state resorts
sick pay given
number of doctors 1929 vs 1940 + reason for change
1928: 70,000
1940: 155,000
many doctors had fled Russia soon after the revolution in 1917, weakening the healthcare that the government could provide so they increased the number of training
