OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATUS OF RUSSIA WORKERS

A noted American specialist on the social structures of Soviet-type an d post-Soviet systems reviews the altered status of blue-collar worker s in the economy of the Russian Federation. The paper covers changes i n branch and socio-occupational differentials, the impact of the pay a rrears problem, unemployment, and labor militancy. A central question is whether Russia's workers have fared as poorly as have most other ca tegories of the population, given inhibitions on large-scale release o f redundant labor in uncompetitive industries.