Shabashka

Within the second economy of the Soviet Union, shabashka (Russian: Шабашка) was semi-official season works, the tradition continued in many post-Soviet states. A person engaged in shabashka is called shabashnik. ^[1] In the Soviet era it was commonly work off the books. In modern times, the term referred to any kind of work outside primary, official employment, a concept is similar to "moonlighting"^[2][3]

The word ultimately derives from "shabbath" and literally means "work in free time".^[3]

A common form of shabashka was construction works in kolkhozes and sovkhozes which, unlike industrial enterprizes had a certain amount of freedom with cash flow and could pay the workers in cash, often unofficially. ^[4] Since the official enterprises operating in agricultural sector (Межколхозстрой, etc.,) did not have sufficient capacity, kolkhozes and sovkhozes had right to contract so-called "temporary work collectives".

In many cases shabashka work had an official status, and the shabasniks had a confirmation of their employment in their trudovaya knizhka (employment record book).^[2]

There were two categories of shabashniks. One of them were non-working class city dwellers: scientists, engineers and students.^[4]

Another were migrant workers from republics of Caucasus and Central Asia with excess of workforce. In the modern times, these migrants are called гастарбайтеры (gastarbeiter) in Russian. ^[3]

The style of payment for the job was so-called "аккордно-премиальная" (piecework/bonus): total payment for the whole job done plus bonus for beating the schedule.

References