This distribution of labour power, the supply of labour power to the places where it is required, will need an enormous amount of registration of labour power, if the assignments are to be made intelligently. Unless we know precisely what means we have to dispose of, we cannot dispose of them to advantage. Here is work which the Soviet Power cannot perform properly without the collaboration of the trade unions, and indeed the work must be done through the instrumentality of the trade unions.
100. Comradely Labour Discipline.
The productivity of a country is not solely determined by the quantity of machinery, raw materials, and other material means of production it contains; its productivity depends also upon labour power. In Russia at the present time, since the material means of production are so scanty, the condition of labour power, of living labour, assumes enormous importance.
The capitalist method of production kept the workers in subjection; compelled them to work for their masters; imposed upon them, in effect, the discipline of the lash.
The revolution undermined and overthrew this discipline of capitalist labour, completely abolished it, just as in the army it abolished the imperialist discipline, and made an end of the obedience of the soldiers to the tsarist officers. It is plain, however, that the task of socialist reconstruction will never be achieved without a new discipline. Here, likewise, comparison with the army holds good. We destroyed the old army. For a season, there was “anarchy,” disorder, confusion. But we constructed a new army, on new foundations, and for new ends — an army which is in the hands of the proletariat, and fights against the landlords and capitalists to whom the old army belonged.