Lapel Pins

Lapel Pins 

in the USSR, a type of incentive to workers and employees for remarkable accomplishments in work. Lapel pins have been instituted as an award to workers and employees who have distinguished themselves in socialist competition as well as an award to leading workers in individual branches of production who systematically fulfill and overfulfill the planned assignments. Examples of lapel pins are Honored Worker of the Merchant Marine, Honored Arctic Explorer, and Distinguished Worker of the Cinema of the USSR. Several lapel pins have been instituted in Union republics. For instance, the RSFSR has the lapel pins of Distinguished Worker of Vocational and Technical Education, Distinguished Worker of the Service Industries, For Work Without Accident, and Distinguished Worker of Social Insurance.

The councils of ministers of Union republics and ministries and agencies of the USSR, respectively, determine the mode of instituting lapel pins and of confirming their design and annual issue (Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of Dec. 20, 1958; Collection of Decrees of the USSR, 1958, no. 20. p. 157). In the case for lapel pins for distinguished workers of socialist competition, these decisions must be coordinated with the corresponding trade union agencies (Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of Mar. 2, 1959; Collection of Decrees of the USSR, 1959, no. 4, p. 28). In the RSFSR the establishment of lapel pins devoted to different events and anniversary dates commemorated in the established manner and their issue are determined with the permission of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR (Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR of Oct. 22, 1964; Collection of Decrees of the RSFSR, 1964, no. 19, p. 136).

Workers who have distinguished themselves are recommended for the award of the lapel pin by local trade-union, economic, and party organizations and receive them at meetings of workers and employees. Persons awarded the lapel pin of Distinguished Worker of Socialist Competition are held in high regard at enterprises and enjoy preferential treatment in promotions, the allocation of housing, and cultural and everyday services. A person may be deprived of the lapel pin for actions incompatible with the honorary title of Distinguished Worker of Socialist Competition by a resolution of the organization that had recommended him for the award. Trade union activists and officials of trade union agencies may be awarded the lapel pin of For Active Work in Trade Unions.

S. S. KARINSKII