Page:Trade Unions in Soviet Russia - I.L.P. (1920).djvu/88



[Note.—The first section of the document, dealing with the general development of Trade Unionism in Russia, has been omitted as it covers the same ground as Lozovsky's article.]

At the present moment our Trade Union includes all clerks, whatever their profession, working in the distributive and supplying organs (food distribution organs, co-operatives, etc.) and in all Soviet institutions (commissariats, Soviets, councils of national economy, "Centres," etc.), with the exception of the Commissariat of the Means of Communication and of Posts and Telegraphs, the employees which form part of the corresponding industrial unions.

The fundamental nucleus of the- union is the committee of clerks elected at the general assembly of the employees of a given institution or concern. In large combined institutions, divided into big departments, each of which has a strictly determined sphere of functions, and situated sometimes in various parts of the city, the committees are elected separately every department or enterprise connected with the said institution. The functions of these committees include the representation of the clerks' interests before the management, the recruiting of new members for the union; the collection of members' contributions; keeping up a permanent contact with the local administration of the union; the application of the decisions and resolutions of the union among the clerks of the given institution; carrying out all the work of the union in way of wage classification, protection of labour, culture and educational work; and raising labour productivity through the application of labour discipline in the separate institutions.

All committees of a town or district are united in the local branch of the union (district branch, branch of the city in Government towns). The chief governing body of the local