Reproduction of labor force in railway transport of the Urals, 1891-1917

This article analyzes the primary sources of labor force replenishment in the railway transport of the Urals during its intensive modernization period. It is argued that significant importance was attributed to sources such as railway workers migrating to the Urals from European governorates of the country, as well as the training of labor personnel in railway schools, academies, and artisan workshops. Despite higher wages compared to local industrial workers and the provision of free government housing, railway workers in the Urals had a low standard of living, which allowed them to satisfy only the minimal worker needs. The causes of this low living standard among railway workers included an underdeveloped socio-cultural infrastructure within the region’s railways, indifferent attitudes from railway administration towards workers’ social needs, and increased military mobilization demands on the country’s transport system. Nevertheless, railway workers in the Urals exhibited a high degree of income differentiation: locomotive engineers, bridge builders, and electricians were among the most affluent, whereas switchmen, track maintenance workers, and crossing guards tended to be less well-off. As a result of World War I and the Revolution, the transport sector lost many of its highly skilled laborers.