Soviet Archives - Collection of Government Documents on Workers

From the Collection of enactment and decrees of the government for 1921, Administration of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR

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On providing for the unemployed. ( Izv. No. 225, S. U. 68‐536 ). Article No. 536.

Decree of the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars.

Amendments to Articles 26 and 29 of the Regulation on the Social Security of Workers of October 31, 1918 (Collection of Uzak. 1918, No. 89, Art. 906), the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars resolves:

1. The right to state social security in case of unemployment is enjoyed by those registered with the Labor Department and having no other means of subsistence:

a) Skilled workers in state‐owned enterprises who have lost their earnings due to staff reductions or the closure of the enterprise.

b) Unskilled workers and employees of state enterprises and institutions dismissed due to staff reductions or the closure of an enterprise and who have worked in the enterprise and institutions for hire for at least 3 years. with the exception of teenagers and demobilized Red Army soldiers.

Note 1 . Workers and employees assigned by the Provincial Councils of the National Economy by agreement with the Provincial Councils of Trade Unions to temporarily stopped state enterprises enjoy social security in accordance with the norms determined by a special resolution of the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars.

Note 2 . The length of service for unskilled workers and employees is certified by the labor rationing bodies of the enterprise or institution at the place of last service or work of the unemployed or by the trade union.

2. The right to social security is not enjoyed by the unemployed who have left work without permission, who refuse the job offered by the Labor Department, who have side earnings or income, who are engaged in a profitable economy, who are engaged in trade or who own income‐generating property, etc.

3. The amount of benefits to the unemployed named in paragraph “a” of Art. 1‐st of this resolution is established depending on their qualifications up to the full minimum wage of a given area, determined by the Provincial Council of Trade Unions, and for the unemployed listed in paragraph ʺbʺ of the same article, depending on their length of service from ⅓ to ½ of that the same minimum wage.

Note 1 . The establishment of the amount of benefits for different categories of unemployed is carried out locally by a special Commission of the Provincial Council of Trade Unions, consisting of one representative each of the Provincial Council of Trade Unions, the Labor Supply Commission, the Provincial Department of Labor, Social Security and Finance.

Note 2 . All types of in‐kind supplies received by the unemployed at the expense of the state (apartment, heating, lighting, meals, etc.) must be included in the allowance.

4. Benefits to the unemployed are issued by the social security authorities.

Note 3 . The procedure for the issuance of benefits, control over the regularity of registration of the unemployed in the Labor Department and the correctness of the benefits issued are established by a special instruction issued by the Local Department of Social Security in agreement with the Labor Department.

5. The Peopleʹs Commissariat of Social Security together with the AllRussian Central Council of Trade Unions and the Peopleʹs Commissariat of Labor shall issue instructions for the implementation of this resolution.

6. To instruct the Peopleʹs Commissariat of Social Security, together with the All‐Russian Central Council of Trade Unions and the Peopleʹs Commissariat of Labor, to develop and submit for consideration by the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars a draft resolution on the provision of unemployed workers and employees employed in concession, rental, cooperative, private and handicraft enterprises and institutions, as well as other groups of unemployed, not provided for by this resolution.

Signed by:

Chairman of the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin) .

N. Gorbunov, Administrator of the Council of Peopleʹs Commissars .

Secretary L. Fotieva .

October 3, 1921.

Published in No. 225 Izvestia of the All‐Russian Central Executive

Committee of Soviets dated October 8, 1921.