SOVIET EFFORTS TO RECRUIT WORKDERS TO SIBERIA

Created: 12/2/1982

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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FOR THI RICCrtD

StfJJBCTi Soviet Bfforii lo Recruit Workeri to Siberia

The attached wat requested by Jesse CTatr, Department of State,nd dcsorlbcs tht dtroogrsphlo environment In liberie and Soviet efforts to recruit people to work there. The memo le part of an Interagency Investigation on forced leber In tht USSR requested by Congress

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Ifforti io bfiit Workera to Siberia

Siberia hai always baan sparsely populated. Despiteattampta mad* by both tha Imperial and o tattle It luring10th eenturlea, the

region continual to be charaoterI aed by low population density. Siberia Ineludes about SO pareent of tha territory of the USSR, but In ItTtercent of the total population lived there. Even more MrIkIIf, the Far Eaatern region whleh oeeuplea anotherercent of tha country's territory, eontalnedereent of the population. There haaubstantial Inoraase In the number of people living In these areas alnee nil, but beeause of population growth elsewhere, the Inereaae In the proportion of the Soviet population living in Siberia and ths Far East haa been negligible.

The natural Increase In Siberia's population has not been sufficient to meet the area's manpower needs, and thass deficiencies ean only be made up through migration. Bot If the

difficult to ittaei and retein enough workers to satisfy ths planners. For example, In Tyumen' Oblast where energyla eoneaniratod, tha populationdministrative aub-unlti elmoit quadrupled tinea lilt, (rowing from ona-tanth to ona-fourth of Watt Siberia's total. Thia maailve Influi doaa not, however, rapraaant parmanant or even long-term aettleavjnt. Aboutaroant of the In-mlgrants to Tyumen' Oblaat during lltt-fl loft, and the exodus la aald to be continuing at about the tarn* rate. Incentive Program

For more thaneart the Sovlat government hai provided financial and other Ineantlvei to raerult workera to Siberia. Extra benefit! for thoie willing to work In the northern reglom ware flrit made availableSS daoreenorthern Increment" to regular wages, longer annual leave, Inoreaied penilon right! and oertaln prlvllsgsi ln housing and edoeatlon. Wagei wereercent higher than the level prevailing In the European portions of the CSSJt. Other benefits Ineluded Income tai exemptions0 yean, free food aad seed,loam and the like. Deiplte the government's efforts,* It waa found that the Wett-to-Eait retettlament program waa not vary aueeessful. Tha number of thoee leaving Siberia wai greater than the number moving In.

0 deorea abollihed the existing wageeducing benefits available to ihote thinking of aovtng to Siberia and to those, already working there. This measure proved toistake as Itasas exodaa of workersi

flnanolel Incentlvei to onoourift mlgritlon were reintroduced Further enangti In IHI, lift,nd lt7Tfor wattpeniloni and othar amanltlti,toworksri not prevfouely covered by tha

banaftta, and making tham applloabl* to all parti of liberie and the Far Bait.

Thoie who leave for work in Siberia try to eonolude eontraoti with particular aitabllihmenti In advance, since In thia eaie the law provldea ipaolal benefits. Fundamental benefit! Include higherimes ths nationalonus for ilrnlnf up, additional payments forunemployment, additional0 time! the nationalnd extra time and money onea every three yeanound-tripplace of rest." Supplementary benefit! Inoluda ipeolol advantages In the calculation of peniloni and dlaablllty payments, retention ef the right to live In one'i former place of reildenee, and payment of expeniei (upon expiration of the labor eontraot or for lome other valid reaaon) for the return trip of the worker and his family to hla former place of residence. Agricultural reiettlers In eerteln regloni are offered ilmllar Incentive! as well. (See ettaohed advertlaamant for pipeline worker! In Tyumen' Oblait.)

However, the promlieetter life and higher wagaa loon collide! with the harih realities of living In Siberia. The extreme weatherc-. Inadequete houilng, few social amenltlec, and high prleei for food and consumer goods all contribute to worker -dl nat lifaet Ion and high turnover.

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OthT Employmentya.

FJoceueo of1'huge manpower naode required bylan, the Soviet! will undoubtedly continue to rely on tha traditional Incentive approach to meruit workera to Siberia. However, the expense and limited sueoeaa Involved In establishing permanent settlements and the high turnover of worker! have prompted tha government to experiment with other employment aehemea. They will Inereaae the tour-ef-duty and expedition methodi of employment which rotate short-term workteanu from eatabllahed sran. Theae methoda entail flying workera Into northern, makeehlft aettlementa from aouthern bate cltlea (wfihln Siberia for tour-of-duty method and from Buropean USSR for expedition epproeeh)redetermined period end then returning them for reat end recreation before their next tour.

eonstruatlone1udIng pipeline aompresaor stations.

Other sources of labor for work In Siberia Include aome foreign workera, Inmatee from labor campe, and aome unconfined paroleea and probationers. There are, for example, alx forced lebor campa located In northern Neat Siberia engaged primarily In manufacturing end light Industry. Moreover, It Is possible that work by soma unaonflned forced-labor parolees and probationers may aupport construction of tha six plpsllnes to built In that

Original document.

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