The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-08-09

10 roubles a month, while a worker
receiving $50 roubles pays Is roubles
for the same identical room, and a
worker receiving 200 roubles has to
pay still more, etc. On the other
hand, students and domestic SER
wants only pay one dollar month
for rent. Another example: all
children receive one warm meal
served in the schools. The poorer
paid workers children receive it
free, while the better paid workers
children have to pay for it. True it
is only a nominal fee, but he has to
pay, nevertheless. One more exam
pie and that will suffice for illus
tration purposes: every factory has
a buffet or dining room that pro-
vides luncheons for the workers.
Factories with unskilled or semi
skilled workers provide such lunch
cons at lower rates than factories
where more skilled workers are en-
ployed. In addition to all that, each
trade union gives special attention
and help to it's poorer paid workers.
For example, one woman street
cleaner, to whom l spoke, receives
IS roubles a month. She has two
children and an old mother to sup
port. Well, her trade union gives
her rs roubles, sometimes more,
every month.
Now for a few figures which
show what lies are being spread in
the U. S. about this country. / have
before me two collective contracts,
one for the trust that l am en-
ployed by and the other for the
textile trust. Each one lists the
scales of wages according to cate
gories. In one instance there are
16 categories. Each category has the
absolute minimum of wages fixed.
The first is for learners. Their min
imum wage is IS per month. Then
comes the category of the lowest
skill and the lowest pay. In both
these contracts it is 80 roubles a
month for the norm assigned. This
needs explanation.
Brigades.
In the Soviet Union the workers
are grouped in brigades and each
brigade is assigned a norm-that is
the minimum work expected from
them. Now, suppose a brigade fails
to fulfil this minimum quota, then
they get paid only the minimum as
signed to that category, in one in
stance, 80 roubles. If, however,
they exceed this quota, then they
receive additional compensation
above the minimum. Very seldom
does brigade fail to exceed the
quota, for it is set at low figure,
and the workers themselves agree
to this minimum quota. (Of this Il
shall write subsequently, when 1
describe the collective agreement.)
From my talks with workers, and
from genreal observation, l can
safely assert that this lowest cat
egory of workers earn a minimum
of 100 roubles per month, and aver
age 100-125 roubles per month. The
next higher category earns 1.25
times that much, and the next one
LAO, ETC., up to $50 roubles. This
does not include engineers. A be-
ginner just out of college receives
$50 roubles per month. Office girls,
beginners, receive 80 roubles
month. Summing up this question
of figures, it may be divided into
the following: unskilled workers,
100-125; semi-skilled, 1880; and
skilled 175-250 roubles per month.
Bookkeepers receive 200-250; engi-
neers 225-500--the majority $50
roubles. But let me repeat again
that in the U.S.S.R. wages expressed
in so many or so many roubles does
not tell the real tale of the workers
relative standard of living. All fac
tors and benefits must be taken
into consideration to obtain a cor
rect view of the matter.
/ had intended to write more
about how workers control their
working conditions, but I'll do that
in my next letter which l expect
to send within few days. Give my
regards to all our friends.
Sincerely yours,
N. STEVENS.