May 1927 in Geneva, Ossinsky, first delegate of U.S.S.R. demanded, of 
the capitalistic countries (in his “rr points” of his program the realization 
of which would in his opinion weaken the world’s economic crisis) that 
they should introduce a “real provision for the unemployed”. Does this 
eal provision” actually exist in the Soviet Republic? 
Only a smaller number of unemployed receive a dole. The number of 
those receiving the dole is estimated by different sources to be between 
100.000%) and 600.000 people**), i. e. out of 4 unemployed only one gets 
-he dole. 
Further even for this minority of the unemployed, the dole does not by 
far reach their normal earnings. In the beginning of the year 1927 
‘he unemployed were divided into 3 categories. I category receiving 
33 % of the average earnings, II — 25 0p and III — 20 %. The average 
rorm of the dole, counting in Chernowez-roubles, makes 18 roubles 
monthly — for the first category, and 12 roubles for the second. 
According to the data quoted in one of the last articles of Schmidt — 
the people’s commissary of Labour***) the average amount of the monthly 
dole formed in the last three years: — in 1924/25 — 8 roubles; in 
1925/26 — 11 roubles and in 1926/27 — 15 roubles. 
The opposition in its famous document describes the real state of the 
problem of providing for the unemployed in U.S.S.R. in the following 
vayl — “The provision for the unemployed by the insurance organizations 
evokes just reproaches among the latter, for the average amount of the dole 
's equal approximately to 5 pre-war roubles (a month). This help is only 
granted to about 20 0% of the unemploved members of trade-unions.” 
Coalition Rights of the Soviet workmen. 
In order to complete the picture one should perhaps dwell on the 
juestion: to what extent is the Russian workman able to defend his rights 
and interests in Soviet Russia through the workmen's Trade Unions. But 
as this question has been investigated already in a thorough and brilliant 
way by the International Bureau of Labourt), we shall content ourselves 
with a few general remarks on this subject. 
The number of workmen and employees organized into Soviet pro- 
fessional unions, counting the whole armv of the Soviet officials. the 
*) Apiest. The Struggle with unemployment Isvestija 2nd April 1927. 
**) Gindin. The State of unemployment and measures for coping with it. 
Pravda, June 7th, 1927. 
**) Schmidt. The policy of the party in the workmen question. Pravda, ath No- 
vember, 1927. 
1) Bureau International du Travail. Le mouvement syndical dans la Russie des 
Soviets. Genéve 1927. 
AD