Working in Towns and the Countryside, 1924-41

What were working conditions like in the towns and countryside in the Soviet Union?

The working conditions in the towns and countryside in the Soviet Union were poor and often dangerous.

What were working conditions like in the towns in the Soviet Union?

Working conditions in the towns were difficult and it was very physically demanding in 5 main ways:

• ❖ Trade unions could not protect the workers from the poor working conditions or low pay because they had little power.
• ❖ Working conditions were dangerous and there were many accidents because health and safety was considered irrelevant.
• ❖ To encourage workers to work harder, piecework was introduced - people were paid by how much they produced. This meant working harder to increase wages.
• ❖ Workers did not have the right to leave their jobs to look for another one because of the internal passports.
• ❖ Stalin brought in an incredibly harsh labour code in 1940, which set out harsh punishments for lateness with pay cuts, arrest for changing jobs without permission, and an increase in the hours and the number of days workers had to work.

What were working conditions like in the countryside in the Soviet Union?

The working conditions in the countryside on the collective farms were poor in 3 main ways:

• ❖ The pay was terrible and much lower than in the factories.
• ❖ It was very restrictive. They were told what to plant and when, and could not leave the collective farms without permission.
• ❖ The work was very physically demanding with long hours as there was a lack of machinery at the machine tractor stations.

What were the positives of the working conditions in the Soviet Union?

There were 4 main benefits to working:

• ❖ There was full employment, even if the jobs were terrible.
• ❖ The factories had canteens which provided relatively cheap food.
• ❖ Women with children could access childcare facilities in towns.
• ❖ Shock brigades, or workers who exceeded production targets, could earn more.