HD 7904 A ML A^ LIB. — i IHI^^^H HE ^^^^^H 1 ^i ^^^^H 1 ^=o ^^^H i—i^^m Soviet Russia The Labor Lai»s of Soviet Russia, Containing a Supplement "The Protection of Labor in Soviet Russia" //-/3-ove 50 8 — 8 unknown " 18 2 20 The above table shows the greatest number of inspectors is of the most mature age and of maxi- mum fitness, — from 25 to 35. Party composition: Communists 183 Sympathizers 85 Mensheviks 15 Left Soc-Revolutionaries 6 Anarchists 2 Zionist Socialists 1 73 Bund 1 Non-Party 93 Unknown 18 I assume that the data given above is quite suffi- cient to enable us to say with confidence that Pro- tection of Labor in Soviet Russia is in reliable hands. 74 XL Special Inspections. The Labor Inspectors who, as we have seen, are in the majority of cases class conscious workers of a domestic education are incapable of realizing fully all the tasks in the sphere of Labor Protection. Very often substantial special know- ledge is required. For this reason, to assist Labor Inspection, the Soviet Government has secured the assistance of the medical and technical services. In August 1918 a technical inspection of engineers was instituted. In March 1919 Sanitary Inspec- tion was introduced, all the inspectors for which were medical men. It has not been possible yet to put these two important institutions firmly on their feet, owing to the fact that at the present time the country is passing through a sharp crisis of lack of specialists. There are hardly enough engineers to go round for the work of reestablish- ing industry and transport, whilst the epidemics make felt the sharp need of doctors, in which Rus- sia was at all times poor. At the present moment there are altogether 125 medical inspectors. According to the general principles of our policy, specialists, doctors and engineers are more of a consultative, auxiliary importance, assisting by their knowledge and special experience the Labor Inspector, who guides all their work, bearing the full responsibility for the condition of labor protec- tion in his district. The technical and medical inspectors make a 75 systematic supervision of enterprises for the purpose of removing any defect or infringement of laws in the sphere of technical safety, sanitation and industrial hygiene. In addition to this they make an extensive study of all harmful trades, trade diseases and accidents and investigate methods of combatting these. All their work, similar to Labor Inspection, is carried on in the closest con- tact with the trade unions under the latter's direct control. 76 XII. Conclusions. It is quite obvious that although our Labor In- spection is composed chiefly of the working class, this class was incapable of realizing all the aspects of its activity. A Labor Inspector makes only peri- odical visits to an enterprise, gives orders and direc- tions but is incapable of establishing a daily control for their actual execution. In addition to this, Labor Protection gives actual results only when it is carried out by the whole working mass during its usual labor processes. For its maximum suc- cess the constant utilization is necessary of that knowledge of the peculiarities of every branch of an individual piece of work, which is possessed by the workers engaged at the lathes who feel the necessity of carrying out the protection of Labor. Further- more, it is necessary to attract to the creative active work of labor protection those who most need this protection, the weakest elements of the working class — the women and the children. In order to achieve these tasks there are being established in Soviet Russia, side by side with Labor Inspection, special organs assisting and collaborating with the Inspection in its complex and responsible work. At every trade union from top to bottom, from the central committee to the lowest county branch, special departments of labor protection have been established. At every factory and works, at every enterprise and institution numbering above 15 men, a commission of labor protection has been formed. 77 These organs vitalize the activity of the Labor Inspection by special knowledge of all the pecu- liarities and the demands of the industry in ques- tion. They also see to it that all the instructions and directions are not dead letters but are actually carried out in due time and without undue devi- ations. In the absence of the Inspector they carry on the constant control of the supervision of legis- lation on Labor Protection, and of the sanitary-hy- gienic state of enterprises, housing, schools, hospi- tals, baths and so forth. Special attention is to be paid to attracting into active work in Labor pro- tection the working youth, which in the person of its Communist League, represents a leading ele- ment, affording a great assistance to all the organs of the Soviet Government by presenting an example of energy and firm revolutionary faith in the righteousness of the workers' cause. In connection with all organs of the League there are economic legal departments which under the guidance of the Labor Inspectors carry on the Labor protection of minors. Moreover, in February of 1920 we laid the foundation of a special institution of assistant inspectors of labor from the midst of the League of Labor Youth. The best representatives of the proletarian youth, elected to these posts by the League in agreement witli the Council of Trade Unions, are able to devote themselves fully to the work of Labor Protection. Whilst paying most at- tention to the protection of child labor, they at the same time assist the inspector in all the other as- pects of his activity, thanks to which they continu- ally gain experience as fully intelligent and efficient workers in labor protection. Finally, every measure is being taken to draw 78 women workers to the work of labor protection. The general meetings of the representatives of women workers of every district elect special dele- gates who constantly participate in the activity of the local sub-department of Labor Protection, visit the enterprises under the guidance of the Labor Inspectors, attend special lectures and take part in discussions on labor protection which are arran- ged by the Labor Inspection, and also closely par- ticipate in the realization of Labor Protection for women and children. Thus, thanks to persistent and detailed daily work, both of an organizing, agitational, cultural and edu- cational character, we make sure that protection of labor in Soviet Russia does actually embrace il- limitably wide circles of working masses, who may be said fully to have become the "self-protectors" of the proletariat against all abnormal, difficult and harmful conditions with which the capitalistically organized public labor is connected, and which in- evitably lead to a physical and mental degeneration of the working masses. We have not by far suc- ceeded in fully realizing all the demands of labor protection. This is in the first place to be explain- ed by the fact that, generally speaking, social measures can under no conditions be fully realized on a large scale within one or two years. In ad- dition to the conditions prevailing in all countries, Russia was laboring under an uninterrupted three years' civil war and principally under a brutal and criminal blockade of the aggressive Entente, which prevented among other things the full realization of protection of labor. The armed counter-revolu- tion supported by Anglo-French bayonets, bullets, and money, and at times even with human "cannon- 79 fodder," compelled the Russian workers and pea- sants to strain all their forces for the defence of the Soviet system. At the same time the Western European capitalists, having economically isolated Russia from the whole world, contributed towards the extreme economic disorganization and tortured by hunger and cold the children of the proletariat. It is clear enough that under such conditions not all the aspects of labor protection could be realized. However, Soviet Russia is slowly but surely ad- vancing along the road of extending and deepen- ing real social Protection of Labor. However difficult the general position of the country is at the present time, the Russian workers nevertlieless lay the cornerstone of the edifice of Labor Pro- tection, whose problem it is to serve as the temple of healthy, beautiful and joyous labor. 80 BOUND VOLUMES OF ''SOVIET RUSSIA'' BOUND VOLUMES OF SOVIET RUSSIA Volume III, covering the important period of July to December 1920, bound in cloth, fully indexed, containing 652 pages of text, many maps and illustrations, will be sent postpaid on receipt of price — $5.00. A few copies of bound Volumes I and II may still be obtained. MARRIAGE LAWS OF SOVIET RUSSIA The complete official text of the Code adopted by the Soviet Republic dealing with Civil Status, Domestic Relations, Mar- riage, the Family, Inheritance, the Rights of Children, etc., is printed in a booklet of 85 pages. 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