USE OF PRISON LABOR IN INSTALLATION OF PIPELINES IN THE UKRAINE

Created: 8/26/1982

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

COMMON PftlSONfcHS WEReTSTJnEL^JSE^ON OIL PIPELINE INSTALLATION PROJECTS IN THE EASTERN UKRAINE in. PRISONERS HERE USED BT UKRGAZSTROY, THE PROOUCTION ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PETROLEUM ANO NATURAL GAS ENTERPRISES in THE UKRAINE, WHENEVER LABOR SHORTAGES MAOE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO FULFILL THE ORGANIZATION'S ASSIGNED PLAN. PRISON LABOR HAS MOST COMMONLY USEO DUPING THE SUMMER MONTHS ANO IN NOVEMBER ANO DECEMBER, AS THE TARGET DATE APPROOR COMPLETING THE PLAN WITHIN THE FISCAL TEAR. NO POLITICAL PRISONERS HERE USED. ONLY COMMON PRISONERS HANDLED BY THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR (MINISTERSTVO VNUTRENNIKH OEL, OR MVDI.

THE PRISONERS HERE THOSE SERVING SHORT SENTENCES. USUALLY OF THREE TO SEVEN YEARS. THEY HERE USED AS UNSKILLED LABOR IN LAYING PIPELINES ANO RELATED ACTIVITIES. THE UKPGAZSTROT DIVISION WHICH REGULARLY USEO PRISONERS HAS HEADQUARTEREO AT POLTAVA IN THE EASTERN UKRAINE. THE EXACT SMIS WERE PRISONERS MERE USEClARENOT RECALLED, NCR. ARLDEIAILS KNOHN OF PRECISELY WHAT SERVICES THEY PROVIDED.I

THE USE OF PRISONERS MAS ARRANGED THROUGH THE UKRGAZSTROY BUREAUCRACY IN COOPERATION MITH THE MVO. THE PROCEDURE HAS FCR THE CHIEF OF THE UKRGAZSTROY SUBORDINATE ENTERPRISE WHICH NEEDED THE WORKERS TOSPECIAL CONTINGENT"ENIXEDF TIME, USUALLYAYS. THE REQUEST HAS MAOET TELEGRAH FROM POLTAVA TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IN KIEV. THE TELEGRAM, NORMALLT DELIVEREO BY TELEPHONE, HAS PASSED TO HROMANOVll. CHIEF OF THE PLANNING OEPARTMENT, FOR APPROVAL, ROMANOV THEN PASSEO ON THE REQUEST TO PAVEL YAKOVLEVICHIRECTOR OF UKRGAZSTROY. GUOZENKO WOULD APPROVE THE REQUEST AND ASK HIS SPECIAL DEPARTMENT ISPETSCHAST) TO HANDLE IT. PETSCHAST STAFF MEMBER HOULO THEN TELEGRAPH THE REQUEST TO THE MVD HEADQUARTERS IN POLTAVA. OURCE COMMENT: IT IS NOT RECALLED WHETHER REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL CONTINGENTS WERE EVER OIS-APPROVEO, OR WHETHER THE MVD EVER FAILED TO COOPERATE BY PROVIDING PRISONERS. THE PROCESSOUTINE. HELLNE HHICH WORKED QUITE HELL FROM UKRGAZSTROT'S POINT OF VIEH.i

THE PRISONERS WERE PROVIDED BY MVD AND WERE TRANSPORTED ANO GUARDED BY MVO MILITIA WITH GUNS WHILE THEY WORKED ON THE PIPELINE PROJECT, BY REGULATION, MEMBERS OF THESE SPECIALHERE REQUIRED TO HORKISTANCE OF AT LEASTEIERS FROM FREE WORKERS. THE PRISONERS HERE TRANSPORTED FROM THEIR PRISONS TO AND FROM THE SITES IN LONG VANS. IF THE WORK THEY HERE TO DO HAS NOT COMPLETED BY THE ENO OF THE NORMAL WORKING DAT, THEY SOMETIMES WORKED UNTIL DARK. PRISONERS NEVER SLEPT AT .THE WORK SITE. THEY MERE PAIO. BUT NOT FROM UKRGAZSTROY-FUNOS." '

I SOURCE COMMENT:. IT IS NOT KNOWN HON MUCH THE PRISONERS HERE PAID, BUT IT IS BELIEVED THAT THEY RECEIVEO ONLY ONE TENTH TO NE FIFTH OF THE MAGES OF FREE WORKERS'.I

LABOR HAS NOT COUNTEO IN THE OFFICIALBT UKflAGAZSTROT TO THE ALL-UNION MINISTRY FOR THEOF PETROLEUM AND GAS INDUSTRY ENTERPRISES. TO WHICHSUBORDINATE. BECAUSE THE PRISONERS' LABOR HAS NOTWAS CREOITEO WITH HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY FIGURES ANO

SOMETIMES ITS LEADERSHIP RECEIVED AWARDS IPREMIII FORGOOD WORKERS AND FILLED A

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PLUS POL ITICAL CONFORMITT MIGHT REDUCE ThE LENGTH OF THEIR SENTF*"