Economic disciplinary measures against Siberian miners in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries

Regulating penalties at Russian industrial enterprises in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries was one of the key points in the solution of the labour question. Cancellation of penalties was one of workers' key demands. The article focuses on the problem of penalties and withholdings from salaries as a disciplinary measure against Siberian miners in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. Economic methods of disciplining miners in Siberia were applied at private goldmines and coal mines. After the regulation on penalties of 1886 had been extended to cover Siberian mining in 1894-1895, owners began to prefer disguised forms of penalties, as the law required that penalties registered in penalty books be transferred to the fund of benefits for diseased and disabled workers or the economic capital of exiles. At Treasury and Cabinet enterprises in Siberia major means of maintaining discipline were measures of coercion and physical punishment. On the basis of mining inspection data the author shows that penalties at Siberian mines constituted less than 1% of workers' salaries and (unlike the situation in the industries of European Russia) made no essential impact on the workers' financial conditions, especially in the early 20th century. They were a means of maintaining the discipline of industrial labour. Much greater damage to workers' salaries was done by disguised forms of fines and different withholdings. Both at goldmines and coal mines, workers suffered from totally illegal takeouts for the worn out and broken tools. The costs of dynamite, coal for burning, instruments, etc. were covered from the coalminers' salaries. Withholdings were as high as 10% to 30% of salaries, with piece-rate workers suffering especially heavily. Small businesses tried not to apply penalties to avoid additional irritants for workers. Big business imposed penalties depending on the situation, not on the contract clauses. Thus, Lenzoto preferred not to impose penalties for truancy, but counted them as "concessionary days" that had to be worked for on holidays with ordinary rates instead of increased ones the contracts envisaged. It was quite common to impose penalties for underperfor-mance at large goldmines. In summertime it usually became large-scale, as workers were exhausted by the unbearable work and lack of leisure days. It is hardly possible to calculate these penalties. Workers constantly demanded the cancellation of penalties, trying to deprive the entrepreneurs of this means of fostering the capitalist discipline of labour and one of the attributes of punitive power.

Keywords

Authors

References