Letter to the All-Russia Central Council of Trade Unions, January 16, 1920

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At the end of 1919, Lenin gave instructions that 10,000 qualified metalworkers should be sent to repair the railways. The leaders of the All-Russia Central Council of Trade Unions and the Moscow City Council of Trade Unions were slow in arranging; the transfer of metalworkers to the Moscow railway system, and the delay prompted Lenin to write this letter.

January 16, 1920

To Comrade Tomsky, with a request to bring this before

the All-Russia CCTU

and the Communist group in the All-Russia CCTU

Dear Comrades,

I send yon herewith a report on the astonishing red tape, carelessness, bureaucracy and helplessness displayed in a most important practical matter.

I have never doubted that there is still very much bureaucracy in our Commissariats, in all of them.

But I did not expect that there would he no less bureaucracy in the trade unions.

This is the greatest disgrace. I very much ask you to read all these documents in the Communist group of the All-Russia CCTU, and to work out practical measures for combating bureaucracy, red tape, idleness and helplessness.

Please be good enough to let me know the results.

Melnichansky himself rang me up about these 10,000 metalworkers. I made a fuss at the People’s Commissariat of Railways, and now Comrade Melnichansky has let me down....

With communist greetings, V. Ulyanov (Lenin)