Social responsibility of business in the system of organization of industrial production of the Middle Volga region at the beginning of the XX century (on the example of the implementation of the “Law on June 2, 1903...”)

Introduction. The article is devoted to the analysis of the tendency of growth of the social responsibility of Russian business in the sphere of industrial production through the prism of law enforcement practice of implementing the articles of the law adopted on June 2, 1903 “On remuneration of owners of industrial enterprises of workers and employees who lost their ability to work due to accidents” on the example of industrial enterprises in the provinces of the Middle Volga region. Methods of research. The range of applied research methods when considering this topic is determined by the intersection of several subject areas: social, economic and legal. In order to reflect all the complexities of their interaction, the methodology of socio-institutional analysis has been used. The application of the modernization theory enabled the inclusion of social transformation processes in the trend of industrial modernization. The work also used the paradigm of the “new working history”, the heuristic potential of which consists in shifting the focus of research from the “working masses” to the “working man”. The method of micro-history allows us to see the mechanism for implementing the “Law of 1903...” through the prism of the life of persons who entered into legal relations in the process of implementing its articles (workers, factory owners, plant management) and supervising their implementation (factory inspectors). Results. The study of archival and published materials containing information on the implementation of the provisions of the “Law of 1903...” on the territory of the provinces of the Middle Volga region allows us to speak about the onset of a new stage of labor relations, not only in the industrialized regions of Russia, but also in the Middle Volga province, which did not differ grandiose successes in industry, but already covered by a powerful wave of industrial modernization. Its characteristic feature is gradually approving a new practice of resolving labor disputes and conflicts - following the letter of the law. Discussion. The studied materials show that the implementation of this law obliged the owners and the management of the industrial enterprises of the Kazan, Penza, Samara and Simbirsk counties to comply with the requirements of the “Law of 1903...” and bear responsibility to the workers who suffered as a result of the accident. Nevertheless, in practice, the implementation of the law was hampered by a number of circumstances, both objective and subjective, accompanied by complaints, drafting protocols, fines and legal proceedings. Factory inspectors tried to curb the pernicious practice of avoiding the responsibility of owners and plant management before the injured workers, performing intermediary functions in resolving the disputes that arose. Conclusion. The adoption of the “Law of 1903...” was part of the government activities of the late XIX - early XX centuries, personifying the transition to a contractual system of labor relations, which established the socio-economic interaction between entrepreneurs and workers of the rule of law. The legislation on labor that was formed in this period made it possible to bring the resolution of labor disputes to a qualitatively new level, while substantially increasing the legal status of industrial workers. The most important role in the implementation of this law was played by the factory inspection institute. Forcing owners and factory management of industrial enterprises to strictly comply with the requirements of the “Law of 1903...” before the injured workers, factory inspectors largely contributed to increasing the social responsibility of business.