Strike action of private enterprise workers during the NEP (on the materials of the Middle Volga region)

The article deals with the strike movement of private enterprise workers in the period of the New Economic Policy. The research shows that despite a small number of enterprises in the private sector, the strike movement was quite a noticeable phenomenon. Under the conditions of trade unions' subjection to the state apparatus in the overwhelming majority of cases strikers made steep demands for a pay increase and occupational safety. In making such demands, trade unions, first of all, concerned themselves with fulfilling directions of the Soviet and Communist Party bodies about exclusion of private capital from the national economy, rather than labour protection. Quite often strikes led to the shutdown of enterprises and dismissal of workers.