Factories and Plants' Committees

Categories / Social Life/Social Organizations and Unions
FACTORIES AND PLANTS' COMMITTEES, elected bodies of workers and employees' for self management. Emerged after the February Revolution of 1917, in contrast to trade unions, they united the workers of a single enterprise irrespective of their profession or trade union membership. Factories and Plants' Committees were elected at general meetings. The main objectives were to establish control over production and distribution, obtain the introduction of an eight-hour working day, solve the problem of appraisals and wages, hiring and dismissal, and employees' provisioning. Factories and Plants' Committees established a number of commissions: Commission for Labour Control, Evaluating Commission, Grievance Commission, Cultural and Educational Commission, Food Commission, etc. Factories and Plants' Committees were engaged in the forming of Red Guard detachments and workers' militias. From 30 May to 3 June (old style: 12-16 June) 1917 the First Conference of Factories and Plants' Committees of Petrograd and its outskirts (568 delegates representing 337,000 workers) was held. Almost 3/4 delegates supported the Bolsheviks on fundamental issues. On June 3 (old style: 16) the conference adopted the resolution, entitled “On economic steps of the struggle against devastation,” written by Lenin. The Central Soviet of Factories and Plants' Committees of 25 members was elected, with nineteen Bolsheviks, including G.F.Fedorov (Chairman) and N.A. Skrypnik (Secretary. The Central Soviet actually became the All-Russian Centre of Factories and Plants' Committees. The Second Conference of Factories and Plants' Committees, held on 7-12 (old style: 20-25) August 1917, adopted the regulations of Factories and Plants' Committees. Out of 25 members on the Central Soviet there were 22 Bolsheviks (Chairman N.I. Derbyshev). On 17-22 October 1917 in Petrograd the All-Russian Conference of Factories and Plants' Committees was held, which acknowledged the necessity of the integration of Factories and Plants' Committees and trade unions and noted in the current situation resolution that the successful acquisition of workers’ power was only possible if state power was transferred to the Soviets. Factories and Plants' Committees played a vital role in the planning of the October armed revolt in Petrograd, later they undertook measures for dealing with sabotage by officials, economic dislocation and famine, took part in the creation of the first economic organs of the Soviet authorities, tried to control production, which often resulted in its complete disorganisation. The Central Soviet of Petrograd Factories and Plants' Committees made an outstanding contribution to the creation of All-Russian National Economic Development Soviet and National Economic Development Soviet of Northern regions. Following the Decree of the First All-Russian Trade Unions Congress and 6th Conference of Factories and Plants' Committees of Petrograd (January - February 1918), Factories and Plants' Committees merged with trade unions and became primary professional organisations. In Petrograd this process was completed by the spring of 1918.

References: Фабрично-заводские комитеты Петрограда в 1917 году: Протоколы. М., 1979-1982. Т. 1-2; Блинов А. С. Центральный совет фабзавкомов Петрограда, 1917-1918 гг. М., 1982; Степанов З. В. Фабзавкомы Петрограда в 1917 году. Л., 1985; Чураков Д. О. Октябрьский переворот и фабзавкомы // 1917 год в судьбах России и мира: Окт. революция: От новых источников к новому осмыслению. М., 1998. С. 114-130.

A. M. Kulegin. Derbyshev Nikolay Ivanovich
Fedorov Grigory Fedorovich
Lenin (real name Ulyanov) Vladimir Ilyich
Skrypnik Nikolay Alexeevich
Фабрично-заводские комитеты Петрограда в 1917 году: Протоколы. М., 1979-1982
Степанов З. В. Фабзавкомы Петрограда в 1917 году. Л., 1985
Чураков Д. О. Октябрьский переворот и фабзавкомы // 1917 год в судьбах России и мира: Окт. революция: От новых источников к новому осмыслению. М., 1998
Блинов А. С. Центральный совет фабзавкомов Петрограда, 1917-1918 гг. М., 1982 February Revolution of 1917
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