Union brand

Trade union brands have been and continue to be produced in several countries of the world. For example, when paying a membership fee of the Federation of Trade Unions of Metallurgists of France , stamps with a denomination of 6 euros are pasted into the union book ^[1] . In the past, trade union stamps ( dues stamps ) were used to collect membership dues by an international union such as the Industrial Workers of the World ^[2] . In 1940, the stamps of the Estonian Trade Union Committee were issued, in 1941 stamps of the Central Bureau of Trade Unions of Latvia , which were then subordinate to the German occupation authorities, were issued.

  East Germany

Since 1945, the Association of Free German Trade Unions ( German: FDGB ) published trade union marks on the territory of the Soviet zone of occupation of Germany , since 1949 - in the GDR . FDGB brands were of the following types ^[3] :

• to pay an entry fee ( Beitrittsmarken ); since 1953, such stamps began to have a tear-off spine ( Talon ), which was glued to the member's membership card;
• to pay monthly installments ( Beitragsmarken );
• for voluntary contributions ( Spendenmarken ):
  • to memorable days, anniversaries and conventions;
  • to the Solidarity Fund ( Solidaritätsmarken ), the fees from which went to various purposes indicated on the brand (for example, to help the people of Vietnam );
  • special stamps ( Sondermarken ), which were issued annually from 1946 to 1989 by May 1 ;
• control ( Kontrollmarken );
• optional ( Fakulta ) used for voluntary insurance of members;
• for union members who worked in West Berlin , which were the main types of FDGB brands, but with “W” or “DM” stamps.

On the union ticket of a 1970 FDGB member, pages 10 through 29 were allotted for gluing stamps of paying monthly contributions and stamps of paying a contribution to a solidarity fund. Pages 30 to 40 were also provided for stamps of payment of a contribution to the Solidarity Fund and special stamps ^[4] .

  Russian Empire

Prior to the transition to the use of uniform trade union marks, each union (society) issued its own signs or applied a system of marks on membership cards. Separate issues of trade union brands in Russia were made until 1918. Known, for example, is the release of trademarks of the Union of Workers on Wood Processing , dated 1908, the Saratov Union of Woodworkers, the Professional Union of Workers of Hairdressers of St. Petersburg , the Professional Union of Workers on Dressing and Production of Leather Products , the Russian Society of Variety Artists and the Circus - 1914 and others.

  USSR

The mass publication of trade union marks is characteristic of the period of the 1920s. So, for example, from 1925 to 1930, the Leningrad Provincial Council (from 1930 - the regional) Council of Trade Unions issued its stamps, from 1925 to 1926 - the Pskov Provincial Council of Trade Unions, and in 1925 - the Tver Council of Trade Unions. In the Byelorussian SSR , the Gomel Council of Trade Unions issued its own stamps, presumably in 1926.

Since 1931, the USSR stopped issuing stamps by individual trade unions and began to switch to the use of standard stamps issued by the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions (AUCCTU). For some time, before the exhaustion of stocks of stamps of the issues of individual trade unions, both types of signs were used. Usually union members were exempted from payment of contributions for periods of illness or unemployment.

Issues of the AUCCTU

Since the 1930s, the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions has carried out eight stamp issues. All of them are divisible characters , that is, rhubarb characters, consisting of several parts (two or three), the rules of use of which provide for separate storage of each part.

The first issue, presumably in 1930, consisted of 21 stamps with face values from 30 kopecks to 10 rubles and one non-nominal stamp for those exempted from paying the trade union fee due to illness. Stamps were printed in typographical fashion on white paper with the watermark “carpet”. They depict a sickle and a hammer and the text is given: "The All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, Unified Trade Union Member . On the spine is the text: "VTsSPS" . Signs were printed in two steps. First, the part that was common to all brands and roots of the issue was printed, then the face value. a cliché of sheet denominations was formed by a simple set of typographic font.

The main difference between the signs of the first issue and the second one, issued in 1931: the complete absence of dots after the abbreviated currency names and the denomination of the penny marks of the type “to 30 k” (for the signs of the second issue they are of the type “30 kopecks.” ). Also on the stamps of the second issue, the text on the spine was changed: "The control spine of the trademark of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions . "

The third issue took place presumably in 1934. Registration of stamps was the same as in the first issue, but the text changed: “All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions of Trade Unions. installment " . The design of the spine has also changed: the word "VTsSPS" has been deleted, and the text "Spade of the trademark" is placed diagonally and underlined by a straight line.

The fourth (presumably 1936) stamps are printed on paper without watermarks, and the fifth (presumably 1939) stamps are offset . The design of these issues does not differ from the design of stamps of the third issue.

Presumably in 1944 the sixth issue of stamps with a new design took place. On the stamps was given the text: "Profmark Membership fee" , on the spine - "The root of the trademark . " These stamps were published in significant editions, differing in shades of colors and insignificant cliché differences.

In 1961, in connection with the denomination of the ruble, the seventh issue of the AUCCTU marks was carried out. Stamps with a new pattern enclosed in a double frame of 9 × 14 mm, the face value is placed on a plate marked with a frame. The last eighth issue of the AUCCTU marks took place in 1963. The brand image was changed, the frame became single.

In 1983, membership fees began to be withheld by employers from the wages of workers, and then transferred to the relevant unions. With the introduction of this order, the need for membership stamps disappeared and their use was discontinued.

Stamps of fees to international funds

Stamps of fees to international funds were distributed among members of trade unions forcibly at the price set by the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions. Four issues of similar brands are known. The first was carried out in 1978. The stamp depicts the emblem of the World Federation of Trade Unions ( Fr. FSM ) - the hemisphere of the globe, supported by the hands of people of three races, and the text is given: “Solidarité” (“solidarity”). On the bottom field of the mark is the control number. Brand without face value.

The second issue took place in 1981 and was timed to coincide with the X World Congress of Trade Unions. The stamp depicts the WFTU emblem against the Roman numeral "X" , the hands of people of three races shaking hands and the text is given: "WFTU 1982 - Havana / X World Trade Union Congress / Fighting - unity of action - peace / WFTU" . In the word “Havana”, instead of the Cyrillic letter “H” , the Latin “N” is used . Brand without face value, selling price - 50 kopecks.

The third issue, 1985, was timed to coincide with the XI World Congress of Trade Unions. The stamp depicts the hemispheres of the globe and the text is given: "WFTU / 1986 / XI World / Congress of Trade Unions / Berlin - GDR" . Brand without face value, selling price - 50 kopecks. The drawing of the stamp of the fourth issue (1989) repeated the drawing of the stamp of the third issue, but with the amended text: "WFTU / 1990 / XII World / Congress of Trade Unions / Moscow - USSR" . Brand without face value.

• World Federation of Trade Unions
• Signs of voluntary fees
• Association of Free German Unions
• Trade unions
• de: Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund
• en: Finnish Socialist Federation (trade union marks of the Finnish Socialist Federation, created in the USA at the beginning of the 20th century, are mentioned)
• en: Wobbly lingo (definition of the English term dues stamp for “union brand”)

• Directory of non-postage stamps. - M., 2005 .-- S. 5-30. - (Appendix to the journal. Philately : Collection of 4 volumes; T. 4.)
• Cannon JP The IWW and the Red International of Labor Unions // James P. Cannon and the Early Years of American Communism. Selected Writings and Speeches, 1920-1928. - Spartacist Publishing Company, 1992. - ISBN 0-9633828-1-0 . (Retrieved February 12, 2009)
• Schlegel L. A. Katalog der Beitrags- und Spendenmarken des FDGB der SBZ / DDR. - Martin Erler, 1996. (An updated and revised catalog of FDGB membership and voluntary membership stamps was published in 1998.)

• “International Federation of Metalworkers (To help a member of the trade union, issue 4)” - information on the website of the Donetsk Regional Committee of the Radioelectronmash Trade Union of Ukraine (Retrieved February 12, 2009)
• “Dues stamp” - definition of the English term for “union brand” on Connecticut Cinderellas (USA) (English) (Retrieved February 12, 2009)
• Website “FDGBman. Specialist in East German Trade Union revenue stamps ” ( UK ) (Eng.) (Retrieved February 12, 2009)
• “DDR-Spendenmarken.de” - website of Monty Trenkner ( German Monty Tränkner , Germany) (German) (Retrieved February 12, 2009)
• “DDR Embleme” - images of trademarks of the German Democratic Republic on the website “Mormo” (Germany) (German) (Retrieved February 12, 2009)