History of Ajinomoto-Insud Manfredonia - Air
The Cages wage
After the first month with the record and the bet was won by the workers, remained high productivity of the plant, also near the maximum level.
Meanwhile, the strike ended the season for the renewal of employment contract, the dispute began for the abolition of so-called national "cages salariali”, ovvero la “parificazione” dei salari tra il nord ed il sud. Ogni Contratto Nazionale di Lavoro prevedeva le Tabelle salariali divise per categoria e, all’interno di ciascuna categoria, un importo separato per il nord Italia e, inferiore, per il Sud.
Poi c’era l’indennità di contingenza che era la parte “mobile” del salario dei lavoratori dipendenti che doveva “adeguare”, trimestralmente, il potere d’acquisto del salario all’andamento del costo della vita. Era diversa per ciascuna zona d’Italia, c’era il Tipo “A” e poi il Tipo “B”, più bassa, naturalmente, per il Sud. Era poi anche rapportata wage categories, differentiated by company size, age and sex of the worker.
In 1968 he began the battle for the abolition of the union "wage cages" with many strikes and demonstrations of force by the unions, until, to break the so-called "front mansion," we thought the Intersind, the union business state-owned, which, however, recognized only the equalization of pay scales of employment contracts.
Meanwhile the battle continued for the contingency that, by the end of 1969, was eventually granted, even though in subsequent brackets and came to the equalization of the various contingency areas of Italy, ie the value of contingency, only separate but equal category from north to south: the killing was, in fact, the "wage cages."
There were those who advocated an increase in the rate of inflation, who predicted an uncontrolled growth of labor costs, some predicted, because of this, barely hinted at the abandonment of the stage of industrial investment in the South: all of these, the Secretary National CGIL said that "the cost of labor is an independent variable than the cost of production" that did not exist those predictions.
For me, I did Each year the budget estimate for the cost of the work would be very difficult to explain to our Japanese friends a statement like that, immediately sprang to the eyes because the increase in labor costs as a result of the adjustment of the contingency of the south than the north.
Then, it was already difficult for me to justify, every quarter, the forecast growth in labor costs, based on the points of increase in contingency. They were pragmatic and wanted to see the forecast increase in documented, while the increases were to be interpreted by reading between the lines of the various analysts and economic commentators.
occur, on time, all, but all those pessimistic predictions avanzate dagli analisti ed economisti. Fissato a priori il valore base del punto di contingenza, l’aumento di un punto scattava quando l’aumento del costo della vita superava lo 0,50 per cento rispetto al trimestre precedente.
Ad ogni scatto in aumento della contingenza, cresceva il costo della vita per cui, alla prossima rilevazione, scattavano altri punti di contingenza e così via. Soltanto che, aumentando l’indice del costo della vita (numeratore) e rimanendo fisso il punto di contingenza (denominatore) come quando si era partiti, dopo pochi trimestri l’aumento degli scatti cominciò a diventare sempre più facile a verificarsi ed a duplicarsi: diventarono due al trimestre o due e mezzo, con il mezzo that was compounded by the increase in the next quarter, and the next quarter, with the remains earlier, it was easy to get three points.
But the run-up each other, between the rise of contingency and the increase in cost of living, inadequate wages to the cost of living, as was the original idea of \u200b\u200bstarting, in fact, the higher the contingency, the more you divaricata difference to the purchasing power of "real", ie net of inflation, the salary of the employee, but the reasons for this gap have already been written many books.
One year I predicted in the budget an increase of ten points of contingency when estimating a gamble, but the report, after the 15 November of that year, the ten points established eleven had become effective, so for the next budget year, everything led me to assume an increase of 15 points contingency. Many financial analysts were of the opinion that, whether there was an annual increase of more than twelve points, we had a runaway inflation with the failure of the entire Italian industrial economy.
After a tormented and troubled gestation, I decided to calculate the costs in the budget providing for the contingency of fifteen points and took the result to the Chief Japanese, preparing for a long, analytical discussions.
Instead, impenetrable gaze that administration, after studying my maths and reading all my notes in the margins, I had one question:
- 'Do you think so? (You think?) "- And my answer in the affirmative was silent a full minute and then I thanked him and said goodbye.
And that year, the increased quota of 15 points, Italy remained standing and also the industrial system that was appropriate, of course, inflation.
Remedies
Regardless of what he thought Mr. Luciano Lama, among other things, a few years later called "a bestiality "his statement, the rising labor costs weighed heavily on our production costs and made our selling price, so this is totally separate from any increase in the cost of living, no longer profitable. And the losses of the Company increased and accumulated, forcing members to continue payments to "equalize" and cancel the losses themselves.
After the first year, the price of glutamate was slowly increased, although not by much. In Europe, the competitors ran for cover and, with the increased price, increased total output, resulting in a higher offer for use and, at this point, the share price began to fall.
I nostri amici giapponesi non vollero ribassare il prezzo del nostro glutammato e preferirono “non svendere” il prodotto, accumulando e stivando la produzione, con la speranza che la crisi durasse poco. Una volta riempito il nostro magazzino, si ricorse all’affitto di altri capannoni esterni da riempire.
Con la produzione al massimo e le vendite col contagocce, la Società si trovò in crisi finanziaria, una vera e propria mancanza di contanti. C’è da ricordare che, all’epoca, i tassi bancari erano elevati ed in crescita continua, anche per noi che avevamo un trattamento di favore e godevamo del cosiddetto “prime rate”, ma anche questo cresceva più volte nel year and no one was able to predict when and to what would grow.
In such a situation, for the first time, our Japanese friends put their wallets and flesh out the finances of the company. There was, in early 1971, a first payment of one million U.S. dollars, by the Deutsche Ajinomoto, Hamburg, which was part of a planned total of at least three tranches million.
The second payment from Japan in summer, but delayed in coming. I left the Payroll Office to become the Chief Accountant, so it fell to me to wait alone in the office the arrival of the remittance of cash to make payments to and from supplier, and was in service 15 August 1971, when President Nixon announced the end of convertibility of the dollar with gold.
to work every morning, I was reading the newspaper "Il Sole-24 Ore" and I wrote down in mind the change of the U.S. dollar, German mark and the Japanese Yen, sure, during the day, the Director I would ask the Japanese.
Since August 16, after the announcement of Nixon, the official match report in the dollar exchange rate stood at that of 14 August, around 627 pounds per dollar.
began to talk with various bank managers, realizing that many had returned hurriedly dalle vacanze. Quando sentirono che avevo un bonifico in dollari in arrivo, si scatenarono tutti i Direttori e funzionari a chiedermi di appoggiare il bonifico sulla propria banca.
In effetti, sul mercato monetario, la moneta straniera, e quella USA in particolare, scarseggiava perché, mentre era richiesta per l’acquisto da parte delle aziende importatrici, i possessori, e quindi gli esportatori, attendevano la stabilizzazione del nuovo cambio, in continuo rialzo, per incassare le proprie divise estere in dollari: gli uni e gli altri si attendevano infatti un notevole balzo in aumento del cambio, chi lo temeva e chi lo sperava.
Con il tasso di cambio “fluttuante” e “libero”, cioè determinato “liberamente”, senza l’intervento di autorità di controllo e di riferimento, noi però non eravamo in condizione di poter speculare e attendere, per cui, quando, nel giro di una diecina di giorni, arrivò la rimessa del milione di dollari, l’unica speculazione che potei fare fu quella di domiciliarla sulla banca che mi offrì il tasso di cambio migliore, e ne ricavammo una buona ed inaspettata plusvalenza di oltre duecento milioni di lire.
Un po’ per la plusvalenza realizzata, un po’ perché il nuovo cambio del dollaro rendeva più competitivo il prezzo in dollari del nostro glutammato, le vendite all’estero cominciarono a crescere e, nel giro twelve months, he was able to download the store enough to face the future with more serenity, while the Japanese do not shed one million expected third, sacrificing their goodness, their claims for the cost of staff and the commission, delaying the 'collection but without giving up. The crisis
meanwhile, advised the directors to use the shelters and put in place measures to reduce costs. Magazines were some predictions about the future and scaled targets. First, we reduced the number of employees over the management staff.
went away some of the recent arrivals, from Terninoss employees, a company formerly headed by Prof. Madam, we closed the sales office in Rome and gave up the launch schedule of direct sale. The majority of job positions vacated by those who went away or were not surrogate, or were "covered" by the staff remaining in the department.
In truth, on the sidelines of these events came to pass, for the first time, the Managing Director Fraser, for the closure of financial statements, accounting policies adopted measures seeking to reduce the amount of loss and these "operations" there were sent from above, without explanations or justifications.
the light of subsequent experience and events, today it seems clear that the poor Fraser, we had always snubbed and diminished its authority in the executive, because he had not, in our opinion, made no new experience to our organization, in a sense made use now, for the first time as Director of its prerogatives, and we will "dictate" the provisions that we had to run blindly.
Perhaps, then, did not meet the usual form, because the Japanese had directly discussed with him the need for them to want to reduce the pressure drop just to decrease the payments.
In our eyes, accustomed to evil, however, it seemed that he, in his capacity as Administrator, which was defend the interests of INSUD, adopting the same measures without the knowledge of the same INSUD and ask for advice without giving prior or advance notice, as is normally made by the other of his predecessors and ourselves.
committed Perhaps even a small error of assessment because, having assumed the effective management, asked the Japanese to make some changes in the organization, even those without warning and putting a fait accompli.
There was the revolt of the administration with the request for assistance from the Chairman of the Board of the company, mining INSUD to review the measures "elusive" which is intended to take.
was the Mayor, he realized the situation, the measures approved substantially elusive, perfectly legal, and promised us that, as far as our administrative, everything would remain as before, as actually happened, praised, not for reporting, but for the professionalism experience gained by many of us. After a few months, the Rag. Fraser resigned, and the INSUD, was sent to Dr. Cipriani.
Today, in light of the current gain experience, I suspect that the visit of Chairman of the Board, however brief, was quite thorough and comprehensive and determined, or at least certainly accelerated, following the exit of the team INSUD company.
Dr. Cipriani
addition to fill the position of Managing Director, with the signature with the Japanese Director, Dr. Cipriani, the brother of the other most famous conductor of the Stelvio, became Director of Directors of the Company and the first measure of its position that was to exercise the option provided for within the decade and the foundation will announce the INSUD leaving the Company. In fact, in 1974, thirty per cent of the shares were purchased by former INSUD Deutsche Ajinomoto, Hamburg.
Almost simultaneously, the arrival of Dr. Cipriani, though not linked to this, there was the Yom Kippur War, the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians, leading to the global crisis that led to the high oil prices, with the first Sunday on foot, the market crisis of all raw materials and reduction of all consumption , and grew exponentially in the cost of electricity and fuel oil, in this sad winter between 1973 and 1974.
explain to a young person today what he meant to us that the world crisis, I realized that was and is very difficult. Perhaps the only effects that can make the idea is the price of crude oil on the domestic market.
For decades after the war, the price of oil had remained stable at just under $ 2 a barrel, making it one of the indicators set for the global inflation trend, comparing to its price than gold, wheat and other commodity prices in general.
Suddenly, the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, the price of oil jumped to $ 10 a barrel, continuing to rise uncontrollably, so much so that in the first half of 1974, surpassed the $ 50, can cripple the world economy.
The best commentary on the crisis was the same Dr. Cipriani, to make us understand the situation, said
- 'Oh boy! Henceforth, the world will never be the same! No more will ever be! "- And he was right!
Perhaps the intervention of Cipriani, perhaps autoconvincimento the Japanese, there was a drastic new cost reduction. One of the Japanese Trade Office in Milan returned, accounting and formally employed by the Ajinomoto German, though not the least varied his way to work, continuing to travel throughout Europe and Milan and Hamburg, but at least now were paying only the cost of these trips and not the stipend and expenses of its other European tours.
Requests for increase in Dr. Hood were not accepted, and he resigned, even though he returned in 1976 as Plant Manager. They went via the Cape of production, a chemist, and several other department heads. He was already gone, the head accountant, replaced by me and, shortly thereafter, also the Director Mr. Raffetto, replacement by a Japanese who had the signature matched that of Mr. Cipriani.
Among other things, as the new department heads were chosen from among the staff, who then were the former deputy or assistant, I thought it was appropriate to complete their training to be "leaders", given the new policy of reducing costs .
I arranged it, with the approval of the Directorate, a sort of progress "accelerated" to instruct them on the whole system that we had for the detection and control of costs by department. For many, our control system was a surprise, and is already skeptical, had to adapt and change his mind.
But the crisis was severe and, at the time, nobody was able to predict how it would last and how to get out, because, out of the crisis, also meant to save the world economy.
In truth, our Japanese had, in their multi-annual programs, an idea that could make the crisis our society, yet they put out at the most unfortunate and inappropriate, after the horse had already bolted the stable, ie when the Dr. Cipriani, yielding the first thirty percent of the shares, also announced that the INSUD wanted to give up short of the ownership of the remaining shares to exit completely from the company because it no longer interested in this cooperation.
The official excuse was that the INSUD had modified its strategies for participation are addressed to the tourism-residential. In fact, in 1974 he purchased the shares of VALTUR and was engaged in the construction of tourist villages in Calabria and Salento. Had "failed" to say that the EFIM for participating in the food industry, had just created the SOPAL, with social democratic presidency.
Meanwhile, the Japanese parent's claims for the loan of staff had accumulated, as well as credits for the sales commission of the Deutsche Ajinomoto, Hamburg.
The parent company, Ajinomoto Co. Inc. of Tokyo, was also made to pay one million U.S. dollars to beef up the finances of the company and Manfredonia, in early 1976, had not yet been any positive event for steps to reduce that debt.
was in this state of affairs, in that year, we took the Law 159, the ban on export of capital abroad, with the harshest penalties for offenders, providing for the immediate arrest and imprisonment.
With a long and intense campaign accusation on television and all media, which lasted several years, he was "discovered" that the majority of Italians preferred to export abroad, especially in Switzerland, their money instead of investing in Italy and, therefore, depleting the country's finances. Instead of trying to abolish the cause of export of capital, it was decided to prohibit the effect.
Now, as soon as the law is passed, some prosecutor arranged to put the handcuffs on exporters, and, together, those bank directors who had done so to follow orders of the owner of capital, with wide exposure of names and pictures in the newspapers and on TV, e, naturalmente, subito imitati dagli altri colleghi Magistrati in tutto il resto dell’Italia.
Il primo effetto fu che tutte le banche nostre corrispondenti, vennero a ritirare i modelli per l’esportazione che avevo numerosi, già firmati, nel mio cassetto. Qualcuna, più lungimirante, me ne lasciò sempre un paio non firmati, ma bastava una telefonata, che arrivava in stabilimento un procuratore per le firme e la regolarizzazione. I funzionari di banca più paurosi, non ne vollero sapere e preferirono rinunciare a lavorare con l’estero con noi.
Ci fu, a questo punto, qualche funzionario più amico che, anche con l’intento di proteggere se stesso, consigliò di sospendere and then wait to pay bills in Tokyo and Hamburg, for those of our payments and transfers abroad, including namesake company, could create some suspicion on the export of capital and, even then, before you went to jail and then you whether there were serious and valid commercial reasons to perform such payments.
I had to explain the whole situation to the manager when Japan, in those moments, he asked me to pay overdue invoices for a couple of Tokyo. Luckily, at that time, we were just now and the first customers of the new Milan branch of The Bank of Tokyo, and apparently some of these banks had confirmed and validate any hesitation in my pay invoices abroad.
Courtesy of Rag. Michele Brunetti
0 comments:
Post a Comment