TRADE UNIONS TO INSPECT WORKING CONDITIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600300426-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 7, 2011
• Sequence Number: 426
• Publication Date: April 24, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY Poland
SUBJECT Economic - Labor, trade unions
HOW
PUBLISHED Weekly, daily newspapers
WHERE
PUBLISHED Warsaw; Krakow; Dusseldorf
DATE
PUBLISHED 15 - 22 Jan 1950
STATE
ARMY
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DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST.ply Apr 1950
NO. OF PAGES 4
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
TRADE UNIONS TO INSPECT `JORkING CORDDI IONS
DECREE SUBMITTED TO SEJM -- Zwiazkowiec, No 4, 22 Jan 50
To assure the worker of better working conditions, a decree submitted
to the Sejm provides that inspection is to be carried out by the trade-union
organizations, and grants the right to the Central Administration of Trade
Unions to make a number of basic decisions.
Inspection will be carried out by plant inspectors for the entire estab-
lishment, division inspectors for individual divisions, and group inspectors
for trade groups. The inspectors will perform their duties after work hours
and rill receive special remuneration.
Whenever safety rules are not being observed in an establishment, the
inspector will in writing bring the matter to the attention of the proper
manager of the establishment, who must correct the situation, and inform the
inspector of the disposition made in the matter.
The management of an establishment can appeal the case to the district~
work inspector. Either side not satisfied with the decision of the districl9
work inspector has the right of appeal to the commission of the regional
work inspector, or to a commission in the Ministry of Labor and Social Secu-
rity.
SCORES TRADE-UNION ADMINISTRATION -- Zwiazkowiec, No 4, 22 Jan 50
The Secretariat of the Central Council of Trade Unions scored the oper-
ation of the Chief Administration of Trade-Union Workers of the Food Industry
for failing to carry out the injunctions of the Presidium of the Central
Council of Trade Unions issued in January 1949 to improve the work of the
Chief Administration.
The persons in charge of the work of the Chief Administration behaved in
a bureaucratic manner and indulged in self-advertising and favoritism. Real
activists were relegated to subordinate positions and rendered ineffective.
NI wall I'w'+. Y a is i,
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CONFIDENTIAL
DISTRIBUTION
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CONFWDL FT L
The Secretariat resoled to ruspend Lisowski, chairman of the Chief
Administration of Trade-Union Workers of the Food Industry, and vice-
chairman Tomaszewski, until the time of the assembly of the National
Council of the Food Industry Union.
I
TRADE-UrfION COUNCIL DISCUSSES DUES -- Zwiazkowiec, No 4, 22 Jan 50
The December Plenum of the Central Council of Trade Unions gave con-
siderable attention to the problems connected with membership dues. In
general, the following problems have come up: system of collecting dues,
the amount, receipt of payments, introduction of membership cards, audit-
ing of funds, purchase of union subscription stamps for the funds collec-
ted, and financing of trade-union organizations in enterprises.
Three systems of collecting dues are used in the area: the individ-
ual, the administrative, and the indirect, whereby dues are collected by
authorized treasurers or paymasters.
The organizations have failed to develop a personnel of trustworthy
men.
In ma.iy instances when capable men have been elected, they have not
been given an active part in trade-union work at enterprises.
Numerous shortcomings were found in the method of determining the
amount of membership dues. However, the January Plenum of the Central
Commission of Trade Unions decided that the dues should be based on the
gross wages.
WORK COMPETITION PROGRAMS INCREASE -- Dziennik Polski, No 14, 15 Jan 50
Various trade unions are now holding plenary sessions in Warsaw.
Recently, the Railroad Workers' Trade Union and the Trade Union of Forest
and Wood Products Industry Workers held their sessions.
Chairman Kurylowicz of ZZK (Railroad Workers' Trade Union) reported
that there are still unrealized economic potentials, such as faster turn-
over of coaches and locomotives, reduction of operating costs, and rolling
stock maintenance cost. ZZK already has 60-percent participation in work
competition. It recently organized several technical advice centers for
innovators. Among others, the Bydgoszcz locomotive roundhouse, where many
Soviet methods are used, serviced an average run of 620.87 locomotive/kilo-
meters per day (24 hours).
At the plenary session of the ZG (Main Administration) of ZZPL-PD
(Trade Union of Forest and Wood Products Industry workers), it was pointed
out that 1949 earnings of forest workers were approximately 50 percent
higher than 1948, and earnings of workers in the wood products industry
increased 12 percent. Not only did labor productivity increase, but also
earnings of workers were 10 percent over the established rates in the col-
lective-bargaining agreement. Fifty-two percent of the members of the
Trade Union of the Wood Products Industry participate in work competitions.
This trade union organized 560 workers' recreation centers and 74 kinder-
gartens. It also sent 10,000 workers' children to summer and day camps
and 10,000 of the 170,000 members on vacations.
CONFIBEF:TLi
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CONFIDENTIAL; L IbF1ORT1AL
WORKERS GET 5-PERCENT WAGE BOOST -- Zwiazkowiec, No 3, 15 Jan 50
The aim of the recent resolution of the Council of Ministers for a
5-percent increase in wages and a partial increase in family allowances
to offset price increases on some articles is to make the national econo-
my more efficient and to base it on a sound wage and price policy. For
a time the government subsidized the production of such producers' goods
as iron, steel, and building materials. Socialized economy must, however,
bring in revenue in order to cover the investments and public expenses of
the state.
I
Long-term subsidies of certain branches of industry would be detri-
mental to efforts to improve the living conditions of the working people.
Furthermore, benefits from subsidized consumers' goods are diverted by
capitalist and speculative elements. A good example of this was the mass
purchase of textile materials for illicit trade.
Maintenance of low meat prices in the retail trade cost the state
several billion zlotys paid into the livestock purchase program. Thereby,
the well-to-do people obtained meat at the same low prices as the working
class. Under such conditions, the government was forced to raise the
prices on some commodities. On the principle that no change in prices can
be made at the expense of the working class, the goverment resolved to in-
crease the wages of state workers and workers of state enterprises by 5
percent to take care of dislocations in workers' budgets arising from the
increase in prices on meat and textiles.
Price increases will affect meat, some textile fabrics, and several
commodities which the working class on the whole does not use. The in-
crease does not cover basic items such as bread, flour, sugar, matches,
wood, coal, soap, kerosene, leather, footwear, rents, electricity and gas,
and railroad passenger fares. Price increases cannot be used as grounds
for any further changes in prices. Further wage increase in 1950 will de-
pend on increased labor productivity.
It is known that private trade, aided by propaganda of the underground,
will make efforts to use the resolution of the Council of Ministers for a
general price increase. This new attack by capitalist elements must be op-
posed by trade unions. Trade unions should explain to the workers the real
significance of these recent economic orders. Speculators' schemes and at-
tempts of wealthy people to pass the price increase on to the consumer will
only strengthen the public action for control of private trade.
In the interest of the working class, it is necessary to support the
expansion of the network of state and cooperative stores. Trade unions can
contribute much to the efficiency of cooperatives by recruiting new members
among workers, activating store member committees, and improving class con-
sciousness among cooperatives' personnel. Trade unions active in villages
must persuade small- and medium-size farm holders to help eliminate middle-
men's speculation by selling their dairy products and livestock to coopera-
tive and state purchase centers.
INTRODUCES BILL FOR FACTORY FUND -- Zwiazkowiec, No 3, 15 Jan 50
A bill was introduced at the Sejm for the establishment of the Factory
Fund. The Factory Fund will be accumulated by each socialized industrial
enterprise through a yearly assignment of a definite amount from profits
made by the particular enterprise. The fund is to be used for workers'
social and cultural facilities and for individual premiums for outstanding
workers.
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7"7! A
CONFIDENTIAL. comm. i it. 50X1-HUM
Along with the decree pertaining to factory councils providing for
the active participation of workers in the co-management of plants, the
new bill will promote interest among the workers in efficient operation.
One of today's most characteristic features is the basic change in rela-
tion of the working class to labor and to social and economic problems.
Housing quarters, orphanages, and recreation centers will grow in propor-
tion to the increase in labor productivity, and the Factory Fund will
help finance such investments. The Factory Council will participate in
the management of the fund. This direct participation by workers' repre-
sentatives in the disposition of the fund, deepens the role of trade
aions in plant management.
For the establishment of the fund, from 1 to 4 percent of the planned
yearly profits will be assigned, and from 10 to 30 percent of the profits
made above plan. In the event that the financial and economic plan of the
enterprise does not anticipate a profit, the quota used to determine the
amount for the fund will be determined on the basis of the reduction of
actual costs in relation to planned costs. Under no circumstances can an
above-plan profit quota be assigned to the fund if the profit is not made
by efforts of the enterprise but is derived from outside sources such as
the reduction of railroad rates, reduction in bank rates, changes in prices
on raw materials and semimanufactures, etc. The percentage of the planned
profits for the fund is much smaller than the percentage of profits above
plan because the planned profits are assigned beforehand for the needs of
the budget and therefore cannot be excessively curtailed.
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