WAGE RATES AND EARNINGS IN THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030021-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2011
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: August 25, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION SECRET/SECURITY IK9CdtM.1 8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT Jage Rates ani earnings in the USSR
PLACE
ACQUIRE
DATE
ACQUIRE
DATE CF
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1, Nominal wares and earn >s 'avs been h_gher than that in
civilian industry. so-called "Spetsotdel" was
organized at "N1~yZ" eta jo nt designing-technological division issuing drawings
for the :7anufacture of special (military) items produced by the plant- Personnel
was drawn primarily from different divisions of the Projecting-Designing Depart-
ment of the plant. All designers transferred to this division at once received a
considerable wage increase. The difference between their earnings and the earnings
of all other designers of the plant was considerable, since tt,ey received large
rremiums and put in quite a bit of compulsory overtime work. I have heard that
the earnings and wages Of people working in aviation industry, were ccnsiderably
higher than those of people working in civilian industry.
2, earnings and wages of workers and
employees or plant #12 ware considerably higher than those of workers and
en.ployees of "N]4Z". Their food and clothing supply was considerably better
both in quality and quantity, than that at other plants and this ci.rctsnstance wad
more important than money during those years (1942-1945)-
3- Conversations dth different people at different Limes have given us a clear
general picture of wages paid for labor in defense industry. People working
there have been paid considerably better. Besides that. people working in
defense industry have had privileges such ass better chances of obtaining permits
for entrance into rest homes and sanatoriums; better kindergartens, homes far
infants, and dining rooms; better housing, etc, The higher the position held by
a person, the !iigher the difference bettecn wages and earnings has been. Salaries
were also dependent upon the significance which the given branch of industry had
from the viewpoint of the government. Earnings of the well-known aviation
designer Yakovlev, who was chic' of an aviation designing division, exceeded maup
times the earnings of other corresponding chiefs of divisions in defense industry,
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designer, 1600 rubles; heads of divisions of the Projecting-Designi:,gDepartment of the plant, about 1230-11400 rubles; leadin engineers-designers, 1100-1200
rubles; heads of groups of engineers-designers, 900-7.000 rubles; engineers-
designers, 700-800 rubles; designer-draftsmen, 500-650 rubles; detail-draftsmen,
250-1150 rubles. Periodically earnings were higher than wages. There was a
piece-rate pay system for draftsmen, designer-draftsmen, and engineer-designers,
and they, as a rule, used to earn somewhat more than their wages. There was a
bonus system'for heads of designers groups, leading engineer-designers and chiefs
of divisions. As a rule, a certain sum of money was reserved by the director of
the plant for rewarding employees of the plant with etoiums in case of fulfill-
ment of given orders in a fixed time, i e for orders fulfillment of which in a
fixed time was considered to ba i?purtant. This sum of money was distributed
beforehand? between those shops and departments of the play,, abich had to partici-
pate in manufacturing the order. On fulfillment of the given order in the fixed
time by a certain shop or a department, the premium reserved for the shop or
department was first allotted by a chief of the shop or the department among
those employees who had participated in manufacturing the given order but who
were not included in a piece-rate pay system (1 e senior employees). After this
allotment, lists of employees were given over to the chief engineer of the plant
for approval; the latter frequently made alterations in them. After approval by
the chief engineer, t.?,e premium was paid by the bookkeeping department of the
plant, sanetimes'with a rather long delay. The rewarding of chiefs of shops and
departments of the plant wos performed by the director of the plant on the basis
of certain factors. Bonus systems were frequently changed; there was much
arbitrariness in the distribution of premium money. There were always people
wronged; there was always a feeling of uncertainty of receiving the premium; the
administration frequently deceived employees, either cut off the sum of the
premium, or took it all away. Lveryone had a very great need of money as the
living standard was very low and everybody, strictly speaking, was in a state of
poverty; this is why hopes for a premium, disappointments, hidden bustle with
its distribution, and expectation of receiving created a very nervous situation.
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, c e act that before ?+or.ld mar II it was a plant-giant, and after
the war it remained a large enterprise (I have in mind "NJiZ" in lektrostal).
I
been working there about two months. Her wages, amounted
to 2200 rubles per month (she would have received about 600-700 rubles, if she had
worked at a plant of civilian industry) and a room at a hotel was at her disposal.
Food and oth,-.r necessities were supplied for people working in this organization.
According to her, graduate engineers with experience rot wages of 11000, 5000,
6000 rubles per month, and professors, under whose leadership the organization
worked, got wages of 1.0,000 and 15,000 rubles per month. At that time, the chief
engineer of "MM" received about 3000 rubles per month (I do not remember the
exact figure).
6. In the USSR, the level of .-a:~,es at enterprises depends upon the size of an
enterprise and its importance from the viewpoint of the government. rages at
metallurgical enterprises are higher than at the majority of other enterprises of
civilian industry. wages at large enterprises as a rule, are higher than at
medium and small ones. diages and earnings at "NKMZ" were considered relatively
1-ih due t th f
-
universities an was sent to work at a certain - organization
of defense i:dustry. after sh had
5. : r?irl
defended her thesis in one of the Moscow
to say .othing of civilian industry. iesides that, a uersonal car was assigned
to him, and he had other privileges (all of t:is is hearsay). Tire difference
between and earnings in defense and civilian industries was bigger during
and after world mar II than before, as :ar as I know.
People working in defense industry received a higher percentage of government
rewards, (decorations and medals, which brought privileges to people who got
them), than did those working in all other branches of industry. This is also true
of the distribution o^ yearly St,,lin Premiums. These two last items can be
checked with newspapers, but the _ircumstance that it can be partly hi:lden in
news.)apers should be ept in mind.
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SECRET/SECURITY D FCRMATIOH
"Ts K B M M" had been organized due to the need for a new blooming mill in a
short oerirxd of . ware more plants later). Besides that,n"To K B M M" was esuppc ed to contain ad for two
leading designing department for metallurgical equipment. In connection with this,
especially favorable conditions were created for people working there. The chief
of "Ts K B M M", professor doctor of technical science A I Tselicov, received 5000
rubles per month because he was a doctor of technical science. Besides that, he
delivered lectures at a universit and pub hed his scientific works for which
he received additional money. his total earnings were about 12,000
-15,000 rubles per month. His deputy received 3000 r'ubles.So-called candidates
of technical science who occupied positions as chiefs of divisions or sections,
received 3000 rubles as candidates of technical science in conformity with
status. Chiefs of divisions, who were not candidates of technical science,
received about 2000-2500 rubles; so-called chief engineers of projects received
1700-1800 rubles; Engineer-designers, 900-1300 rubles. There was a bonus system
in "Ts K B M M too.
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