Collective, Work, Production, the main cell of socialist society, the component of its economic, political and social system. The legal base of its organisation and activity, and its principal powers of participation in managing state and public affairs as well as enterprises, institutions and organisations are laid down in the Constitution of the USSR and the Law of the USSR "On Work Collectives and Enhancing Their Role in Managing Enterprises, Institutions and Organisations" (1983), adopted in accordance with it. A work collective is an amalgamation of all those jointly working at a state public enterprise, at an institution, in an organisation, on a collective farm or in another cooperative organisation. This activity is based on the socialist ownership of the means of production and planned development of the economy; it is implemented on the basis of comradely cooperation and mutual assistance, and ensures the unity of the state, public and personal interests. Under the guidance of the CPSU organisations and state power and management bodies, work collectives fulfil) economic, political and social functions aimed at strengthening and developing the Soviet social system and the socialist mode of life, drawing the working people into managing state and public affairs, and safeguarding lawful rights and interests of workers. The duty and obligation of the work collectives include highly productive work, implementation of the Party decisions, unswerving observation of Soviet laws and government decisions, fulfilment of the state plans and contracts, boosting the effectiveness and quality of work, strengthening labour, production and state discipline, constant concern about the development of labour, social and political activity of collective members, and educating them in the spirit of moral principles of the builders of communism. Work collectives enjoy extensive rights which are proclaimed in the Constitution of the USSR. The Law on work collectives concretises the principles laid down in Article 8 of the Constitution of the USSR on the participation by work collectives in managing enterprises (institutions and organisations). It specifies the powers of work collectives: in planning economic and social development; in safeguarding social property and rational use of material resources; in organising, rating and remunerating work; in distributing and using the economic incentives funds; in training, upgrading the qualifications and placing the workforce; in ensuring labour discipline; in improving social, cultural, housing and everyday conditions of the working people, etc. This Law also provides for the powers enjoyed by work collectives in managing enterprises, institutions and organisations. They are implemented directly by the general meetings ( conferences) of collective members, and in- between the meetings—jointly by the administration and elected bodies of the Party, trade union and Komsomol organisations, and by trade union and other public organisations functioning in work collectives in accordance with their Rules and Soviet laws, as well as by the administration of enterprises, institutions and organisations in accordance with its powers or on instruction of work collectives. General meetings (conferences), convened together by the trade union committees and administration at least twice a year, discuss most important questions of the life and activities of work collectives. Questions to be discussed are suggested by the Party, trade union and Komsomol organisations, the administration, People’s Control bodies, permanent production conferences, on joint initiative of the administration and public organisations, as well as on the initiative of individual members of a work collective. The decisions of the meeting (conference) of the work collective, adopted in accordance with its powers and current legislation, are binding for all members of the collective and administration. Control over the implementation of the 49 decisions adopted by the meeting is effected by the trade union committee and the administration, in accordance with its authority or on the instruction of the meeting (conference), which inform work collectives how these decisions are being carried out. Primary work collectives are playing an increasingly important role in the life of the country due to the vast development of the team work organisation and incentives of labour (see Team Organisation of Labour). The Law on work collectives empowers work collectives to examine the drafts of the laws, decisions of the local Soviets of People’s Deputies concerning the interests of work collectives, questions of state, economic, and social and cultural construction suggested for discussion by the local Soviets and the bodies accountable to them, and also other questions of state and public life, and to present their own proposals on these questions. It is established that the proposals and recommendations of work collectives are taken into consideration by the state power and management bodies when adopting decisions on the activity of corresponding enterprises, institutions and organisations, and that the state power and management bodies inform work collectives about their work and decisions they have adopted, and how they are being carried out. A work collective plays a key role in the evolution of the socialist way of life. The CPSU and the Soviet state pay close attention to the study and broad dissemination of the experience of top-notch production collectives, to their achievements in dealing with economic and social issues, to reinforcing relations of mutual assistance and the responsibility of each for the common cause, and to ensuring that they will not tolerate violations of labour and production discipline (see Labour Discipline) and immorality. The responsibility of everyone to the collective and the responsibility of the collective for every worker is a feature of the socialist way of life.