Working the 9 to 5 and Then Some

Russia Workers

Now that Russia had entered a new era of Bolshevism, labor dicipline became a major issue.  Russia was in an attempt to show its power to the world.  This meant everything Russian must impress.  From their olympic sports teams right down to there average citizens in the workplace.  Lenin himself had pegged Labor dicipline as the entire basis for socialism.   In 1930s Russia, it was unthinkablke for workers to show up late, sleep at work, and definately to disobey their boss.

The Soviet government took this obedience in the work place so seriously they passed multiple ordinances which assigned punishments to violators.  The most common punishment was immediate dismissal from work, refusal of rations, and even eviction from housing.  By 1932 recorded absences from work were decreasing, however some say this had nothing to do with the government ordinances.  Toward the end of the thirties the soviet government passed even more ordinances and became increasingly strict.  Some of these new ordinances required workers to carry labor books containing their job history, and even reduced the time allowed off for pregnancy.  In 1940 the Government finally made it a crime to quit a job or be absent from that job.

This translated excerpt was part of  the original ordinances.  If the translation is accurate i believe it sums up the Soviet government’s views and reactions to the disobedience.   In fact it pretty much sums up the governments view of civilians in general at the time.  “The law requires the dismissal of a worker or employee for absence without sufficient reason. This measure is directed against parasites who do not want to work but try to live at the expense of the state, at the expense of the people. Therequirements of the law regarding the dismissal of slackers should be carried out without fail.”

Another source that should be checked out is one that gives the specifics for the ordinances.  I wont take time to retype every part here, but it is definately worth taking a look.  It shows specific punishments for offences.  Here is one example, 5. A workman or clerk who voluntarily leaves a state, co-operative or public enterprise or office, shall be tried by a court, and in accordance with the sentence of the People’s Court shall be imprisoned for terms from two to four months.

Freeze, Gregory. Russia a History. Vol. 3rd. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.