The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-02-11
WORKERS SOCIAL
INSURANCE

THE following is a resolution written by
Lenin and adopted by the conference of the
Russian Social Democratic Party held in
Prague, in 1912. The Prague conference
which Trotsky and Plechanow refused 90 at
tend, was held under the direct leadership of
Lenin, and led to the consolidation of the
Bolshevik elements, by purging itself of
the opportunists Of the right and left"
The above mentioned resolution is regarding
the bill introduced in the Duma on Workers
Insurance. The resolution written by Lenin
is of ut Importance IN connection with our
present day struggle for social insursnce)
BY v. 1. LENIN.
I. That part of the riches, created by hired
laborer which he receives in the form of wages,
is 50 insignificant that 1t hardly suf1ices for the
satisfaction of his most vital living requirements
proletaran is thus deprived of every possibility
Of setting aside part of his wages as savings
against the possible loss of his capacity to work,
as result of an accident, sickness, old age and
also as result of unemployment, which is in
separately connected with the capitalist system
of production. Therefore, workers insurance
against the contingencies listed above is re-
form, dictated by the whole course of the carr
talist development
O. The best form Of workers insurance is
F;ernmental insurance built on the following
found ions: (a) it must irs':re orkers against
all forms OF loss Of their ability to work (ac-
cidents, sickness old age), 1t must insure work
ing women against loss of wages at time of
pregnancy and childbirth; compensate widows
and orphans after death of their wage earner);
(b) insurance must cover all persons working
for wages and their families; (c) all insured
persons must be compensated on the principle of
the return of full wages, while all costs of in
surance must be borne by the employers and
by the state: Cd the management of all forms
OF workers insurance must be in the hands of
single insurance organizations, built the ter
ritorial type and on the basis of complete self
administration of the insured.
g. The bill of the administration on workers
insurance, recently accepted by the State Duma
is contrary to all the basic demands of a ration
ally built insurance system; (a) it considers only
insurance against accidents and against sick
ness; (b) 1t embraces only a small part of the
Russian proletariat (one-sixth according to the
most optimistic calculations leaving without in
surance facilities whole regions Siberia, eau
casus) and whole categories Of workers who
are particularly in need of insurance (agricu-
tural workers, construction, railroad postal
telegraph, clerical workers, etc., (c) it sets
pauperous amounts of compensation (the maxi
mum compensation for accidents resulting in
full disability are two-thirds of the earnings of
the insured, calculated on a basis below the
actual earnings) but al the same time it puts
on the shoulders of the workers the majority
OF costs of insurance; it is planned to insure at
the expense of the workers not only against
sickness, but also against minor" accidents the
most frequent kind in industry. This new order
Is decided worserhng, even in comparison with
the present law, which puts the duty of COM
pensation exclusively upon employers; cd it de-
prives insurance organizations of every SEM
blance of self-government, leaving them to the
police (Which, aside from a general supervision
had the right to basically direct their activities
exert influence on the personnel, etc. employ
ers personnel recruited from the ranks of en-
ployers only, to comprise the staff of organiza-
tions insurtng against accidents, factory type of
sick benefit societies. influence Of EMPLOYERS on
insurance organizations permitted by status
etc..
T. Such law which is nothing more than
the grossest mockery Of the most vital interests
of the working class could be produced now at
- moment of the most furious reaction in the
period of the reign of counter revolution as a
result of years of negotiations between the gov
eminent and the representatives of capital
The condition necessary for the realization of an
insurance reform, which would actually answer
the requirements OF the proletariat Is the final
overthrow Of Tsarim and the conquest of con-
tons necessary for free class struggle OF tho