Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars USSR, The Seven-hour Working Day. January 2, 1929

Original Source: Sbornik zakonov S.S.S.R., No. 2 (1929), Art. 30.

In amplification of article 1 of the manifesto issued by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of the 15th October, 1927 (Collection of Laws USSR 1927, No. 61, chap. 613) the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars USSR decree:

1. All producing undertakings of industry, transport, communications and communal economy, whether governmental, public or private, except those enumerated in article 3, must be transferred by the 1st October, 1933, to a normal working day of not more than seven hours.

2. In all new undertakings of heavy industry, and in-all large undertakings of light industry, the seven-hour day comes into effect as soon as these are in production.

Exceptions to this rule are allowed, with the permission of the Governmental Commission for the preparation of the introduction of the seven-hour working day, attached to the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR

In all other new undertakings the seven-hour working day comes into effect in accordance with general rules.

3. The seven-hour working day is not applicable to those undertakings which are due for liquidation not later than the 1st October, 1933, or to those which are not in continual operation (production of a seasonal character).

4. The seven-hour working day is instituted for all workers and employees in the undertakings concerned, who, before the introduction of the seven-hour day, were subject to an eight-hour working day, except those workers and employees serving in. ancillary undertakings.

5. The institution of the seven-hour working day does not carry with it a further automatic reduction of the working day of workers in those occupations in which, owing to the unhealthy nature of the work, a reduced working day is already in operation.

The institution of a reduced working day owing to the unhealthy nature of the work is effected in accordance with the general rules by the People's Commissariat of Labor of the USSR and by the People's Commissariats of Labor for the Allied Republics.

6. In industries where the process is uninterrupted, in which, for technical reasons, the introduction of a daily seven-hour working period is impossible, some other arrangement of work may, by agreement between the employer and the trade union concerned, and with the permission of the labor organization, be adopted, in such manner that the average duration of a normal working day does not exceed seven hours.

Regulations for the application of the present article are drawn up by the People's Commissariat of Labor of the USSR

7. The duration of the working period of persons, for whom a seven-hour working day is instituted by the present decree, is reduced by one hour in the case of night work.

In industries where the process is uninterrupted, the duration of the night shift can be made equal to the day shift, in such a manner that one hour of night work, if paid on a time rate, is counted as seven-sixths of an hour of day work; and if paid on a piece rate, the worker receives, in addition to his piece wages, one-seventh of the time rate of his category.

8. In undertakings which have been transferred to the seven-hour working day, pregnant women, from the sixth month of pregnancy, and nursing mothers, during the first six months of nursing, are not allowed to be employed on night work.

9. Minors who are employed on a piece-work basis receive additional remuneration to the extent of one hour's pay of their category.

10. The introduction of the seven-hour working day in undertakings of general national importance is carried out in accordance with lists approved by the Governmental Commission for the preparation of the introduction of the seven-hour working day, attached to the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR

The introduction of the seven-hour working day in undertakings of regional and local importance is carried out in accordance with lists approved by the Commissars for the preparation of the introduction of the seven-hour working day attached to People's Commissariats of Labor of the allied republics, on the basis of the annual control figures for the introduction of the seven-hour working day drawn up for the various branches of industry by the Governmental Commission for the preparation of the introduction of the seven-hour day attached to the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR

The lists of undertakings of regional and local importance to be transferred to the seven-hour working day are to be communicated, immediately upon approval, to this latter Commission.

Disputes arising in regional commissions regarding the question of the transfer of undertakings to the seven-hour working day are decided by the Councils of People's Commissars of the allied republics concerned.

The transfer of State and public undertakings to the seven-hour day prior to their inclusion in the above-mentioned lists is forbidden.

11. The Governmental Commission for the preparation of the introduction of the seven-hour day attached to the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR has the right to demand from the departments, organizations and persons concerned, the communication of the necessary information and plans in connection with the introduction of the seven-hour day; to examine the proposals which they have prepared; and to issue to them the necessary indications and directions.

II

12. Articles 2-4 of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of the 17th January, 1928, concerning the preparation for the introduction of the seven-hour day (Collection of Laws of the USSR 1928, No. 8, chap. 72) are cancelled.

13. The Governments of the allied republics are recommended to introduce into the legislation of the allied republics the amendments rendered necessary by the present decree.

Source: Selection of Documents Relative to the Labour Legislation in Force in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1931), pp. 95-98.