Work under socialism in the USSR

I started my career in the USSR in 1974. I can say that I experienced it on my own not by hearsay. Attitude to labor, the working class in the USSR - is like in India has always been a "sacred cow". In the Soviet Union, in principle, there was no unemployment. Enterprises have always needed specialists. Get a job was not a problem. In cities, most jobs are places in large industrial enterprises. And they, as a rule, built houses for their employees in the surrounding areas. At enterprises, there were almost always canteens for workers, where you could have lunch for just a penny.The food in the canteens was quite high-quality and high-calorie. On the enterprises for primary work specialties it was possible to be arranged without special problems, at first the pupil, and then the category allowing to work independently was appropriated. Workers often earned more than engineers, although they had higher education. The class approach was everywhere. The proletariat under communist rule was the hegemony and hence all the distortions. For example, after graduation from the institute, I was appointed an engineer in a research institute with a salary of 110 rubles.My school friends, who immediately went after school to work for the plant, ordinary workers received by that time about 300 rubles a month. The earnings on the side of the authorities were not encouraged. You could get under a criminal article about speculation. Young specialists were almost always provided with a hostel, and a family room - a separate room in the hostel. Family workers stood in line for the provision of housing and usually within 8-10 years provided a separate apartment area depending on the size of the family. The rent was not too burdensome.The remaining money was spent on food, clothing, cultural needs (cinema, theater, entertainment), money was saved for large items (refrigerator, TV, washing machine, etc.) Many workers owned country plots on which vegetables were grown, berries and fruits for the family and even for sale. This saved money for food and people could afford to have a rest on the sea in the Caucasus and Crimea during the holidays. My family spent almost every year on the sea in the Caucasus. There were people who could earn a lot of money by contracting for work in the Far North or Spitsbergen.Having worked there 2 - 3 years and they could afford to buy a cooperative apartment or car. Trade-union committees presented working trips to pioneer camps, rest homes, sanatoriums, often their own medicine, baths, sports sections, mugs. Hospital, paid holidays, pensions were guaranteed. Often used to purchase scarce food directly in the enterprise. Sometimes you could buy these goods every month and for holidays. The enterprise helped to purchase vegetables and even meat for harvesting.The protection of the rights of the worker by the state, the party committee, the trade union, the Komsomol, women's organizations, doctors, and the internal service of labor protection was guaranteed. From the length of the working day and the size of the salary to the dismissal procedure only with the consent of the trade union. To stimulate workers, social competition was organized. For the foremost workers, there was honor and rewards, from prizes and media references to the highest state awards. At first glance, all this looks like propaganda and an ideal society.However, not all so simple. Socialism has reached its limit for improvement and development. The production was not profitable, because the incentive for development was lost. The increase in labor productivity has become unprofitable for an individual worker. If, for example, I made 1000 items per day and received a monthly salary of 300 rubles, then using my knowledge and skills I could make 2000 items per day, for example. Immediately there will be a change in the rates and as a result I will earn no more than 310 rubles and most importantly, that all the rest will get 30-40% less, because. they do not have my skills. All this gave rise to passivity in relation to work, disinterest in the results of labor, in improving the quality of products and all this gave rise to a decline in production. There were even cases when there were organized manufactures that made products for the sake of production. The products were of such poor quality that no one bought them. In the 80-ies it became widespread. the elderly leadership did not want to change anything and therefore there was a restructuring, and then the destruction of the empire.

https://www.quora.com/How-did-citizens-of-Soviet-Union-apply-for-jobs-Were-all-jobs-assigned-by-the-government