The Soviet Transition from Socialism to Capitalism: Worker Control and Economic Bargaining in the Wood Industry*

Analyses oftlze transition from state socialisnz to capitalism @pically focus on political impedimerlrs and underesritnate tlle economic obsracles to economic rransformatior1. Based or1 a c,ase srudy c?f'the Soviet ~ ' o o d indusrr-y, we argue tlzur there Hill he no economic tr.ansition so long as enterprises rerain two hisroric features, nanzely anarchy in pr.oduction and barqainit~g in exrernal r.elarions. Far. jtom consrituting a re~~olution, tlze witllerirlg away of the party srate has esaggerared rlle parhologies of'rhe old econotnic order. Barrer has hecome nzo1.e inzpor.tant, conglonzerates ha1.e strengrhened their monopoly and ~wrkers 1la1.e greater conrr.ol of tlze shop floor. If there is a nzolbemenr to~sar.d a nzar.ket economy at all, it is to~sar.da jb1.m ofmerchant capitalisnz rlzut deepens economic under.de~>elol~nzet~t and lz~~arts tlze rise of nzodern bourgeois capiralism.