Условия труда на предприятиях в годы Великой Отечественной войны (на материалах Владимирского края)

Abstract

The analysis of employment conditions of workers at the enterprises of Vladimir region during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) has been presented in the article. Employment conditions in which the workers on home front existed have been considered not only as an act of bravery but as the problem of efficient enterprise functioning in the years of war as well. Predominance of the state and social interests over the interests of individual employee has been paid attention too. The materials of the party funds of Vladimir region city committees stored in the State Archives of the Vladimir Region (GAVO) has become the source base of the article. In addition, the memoirs of workers on home front about their personal experience during the hard times of war are significant sources. The study identifies the most important and frequent difficulties which took place at the enterprises of the region under consideration. The author highlights the poor adherence to safety standards, unsatisfactory working conditions in the shops (low temperatures, lack of amenities, unsanitary conditions, lack of overalls and footwear) as the problems faced by workers of factories. In addition, there was an irrational use of existing employees, inadequate nutrition, conflicts between individual employees and their immediate superiors. The latter often led to the execution of cases against workers for violations of labor discipline in accordance with the decrees of June 26, 1940 and December 26, 1941. As a result of the analysis of wartime documents the author comes to the conclusion that a number of problems that workers of factories of the studied region faced with during the war years were constantly unresolved. Despite the ongoing war human conflicts have not disappeared, the clarification of which for some administrators was more important than the successful functioning of the area of work entrusted to them. This resulted in cases of illegal persecution of workers for alleged violations of labor discipline, which did not increase the authority of the enterprise administration.