Essays on the history of trade unions of the Ukrainian SSR. Kyiv. Politizdat Ukrainy. 1983. 663 p.

Many works of Soviet scientists are devoted to the history of trade unions .1 An important step in its further development is the peer-reviewed work prepared by the Institute of Party History under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, a branch of the IML under the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Ukrainian Republican Council of Trade Unions .2
The authors show how important Lenin's teaching on trade unions, party documents relating to their activities, and the struggle of V. I. Lenin and the party against opposition groups that wanted to lead the trade unions on the path of anarcho-syndicalism were in the creation and development of trade unions in Ukraine. The material presented in the essays shows that the party at all stages of history introduced socialist consciousness into the trade union movement, waged a struggle against the penetration of bourgeois and petty-bourgeois ideology into it. Thanks to the party leadership, the book emphasizes, the trade unions of our country, including the trade unions of Ukraine, have become a social force that has a huge influence among the masses of working people and great international authority. The Party has always shown and continues to show concern for increasing the role of trade unions in society, for increasing their importance as a school of management, a school of management, and a school of communism. The history of trade unions in Ukraine clearly shows that the party leadership of trade unions is the source of their strength and success.

The essays make extensive use of archival documents and other sources. A large number of new facts are introduced into scientific circulation, many previously insufficiently studied issues of the history of trade unions in Ukraine are highlighted, in particular their activities during the imperialist military intervention and civil war; the process of merging trade unions and factory committees, turning the latter into grassroots cells in factories and factories; the creation of trade unions in Western Ukrainian lands after their reunification with the Ukrainian SSR; resumption of work of trade union organizations immediately after the liberation of the territory of the republic from the fascist invaders, etc.

In an organic connection with the history of the country, the book shows the participation of trade unions of Ukraine in the struggle for the overthrow of tsarism, for the victory of Soviet power. After the victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution, the trade unions of Ukraine perform their most important function - the function of protecting the legitimate rights and interests of workers, participate in monitoring the measure of labor and consumption, compliance with the rules and norms of labor protection, improving its organization, actively contribute to the development of the socialist economy as the basis for more and more complete satisfaction of the needs of workers, comprehensive personal development. The authors show at all stages of the history of our country such forms of trade union activity as labor meetings, collective agreements, permanent industrial meetings.

A special place in the essays is occupied by sections devoted to the activities of trade unions in the period of developed socialism. The article analyzes their participation in solving the problems of economic, socio-political and spiritual development of the country, in improving working conditions, everyday life and recreation of workers. The book convincingly shows that the unity of all areas of activity of trade unions, their implementation of production, educational and protective functions is a consequence of the close intertwining of the interests of trade unions and the state, that the concern of trade unions for the development of the socialist economy serves as the basis for meeting the growing needs of workers, comprehensive development of the individual.

Trade unions make a significant contribution to the solution of the most important social tasks: strengthening the leading role of the working class; steadily improving the people's welfare; erasing significant differences between the city and the countryside, workers

1 From the history of trade unions in the USSR, Moscow, 1973; Trade unions of Moscow. Ocherki istorii [Essays on History], Moscow, 1975; Problemy istorii trade unions of the USSR, Moscow, 1976; see also: Rabochy Klass i trade Unions. Problemy istoriografii i istochnikovedeniya [Problems of Historiography and Source Studies], Moscow, 1984.

2 Author's team: Yu. V. Babko (head), P. L. Vargatyuk, I. L. Goshulyak, A. P. Gritsenko, V. A. Zamlinsky, S. V. Kulchitsky, V. A. Motsak, F. E. Nishchy, A. S. Pivnenko, V. E. Romantsov. Editorial Board: V. A. Sologub (Chairman), A. A. Aleksandrov, Yu. V. Babko, Yu. G. Ivanchenko, I. F. Poyda, V. P. Samodrin, M. I. Selikhov, V. I. Sivolob, V. I. Yurchuk.

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development of socialist competition, the struggle for economy, participation in the management of production; strengthening the solidarity of the international labor movement, cooperation between countries and peoples. All this is comprehensively shown in the book. As part of the political system of society, trade unions actively cooperate with the Councils of People's Deputies, economic bodies, the Komsomol and other public organizations.

'The essays for the first time so widely and consistently address the issues of trade union building, the causal nature of changes in the organizational structure, forms and methods of work of trade unions, the relationship of various areas of their activities. The authors present an objective picture of the development of trade unions in the republic, show their strategy and tactics at various stages of history. The pages of the book tell about the leaders of labor, innovators of production, party and trade union workers, about those who represent time with their work and attitude.

The book shows the theory of the trade union movement in development, highlights the role of trade unions of Ukraine in the life of society at various historical stages, reveals their multifaceted activities in close connection with the history of the entire country and the republic, the Communist Party, and trade unions. The reader is offered well-founded, scientifically reasoned, and politically verified conclusions and generalizations.

The book contains interesting facts, but sometimes they dominate the text, resemble a chronicle of events. The history of republican trade unions is shown in the essays through the activities of committees of various levels and primary organizations, but I would like to see such publications more fully disclose trade union work directly in labor collectives, where issues of social and economic development of the country are being resolved. The interaction of trade unions with state and public organizations of the republic is not sufficiently disclosed, which reduces the possibility of presenting the full role and place of trade unions in the life of society.

It is advisable to compare the content and nature of trade unions ' activities in socialist and capitalist countries in such publications, and against this background to show the objective successes of the socialist system, the real possibility of the trade unions of the USSR and other countries of socialism solving all the problems that are important for working people. The Constitution of the USSR grants trade unions enormous rights, and it is important to show how they are implemented. For example, the following fact speaks volumes: about 70 different economic and social functions are performed by the administration of enterprises, organizations and institutions in coordination with or in cooperation with trade unions3 . In a capitalist society, nothing of the sort exists and cannot exist.

The steady increase in the role of trade unions in the life of a socialist society encourages the need for scientific study and generalization, theoretical understanding of their activities at all stages of the country's history. The book on the history of trade unions in Ukraine is an example of the preparation of such publications in the republics, territories and regions.

3 Pravda, 12. X. 1983.

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