Reasons.
As I mentioned before, the factory of Manfredonia was, for the Japanese, the first place foot on European soil, in order to settle, to study the market, know the environment and human society, learn the local laws.
In Japan and the Orient, the Ajinomoto factory, in addition to glutamate, also produced amino acids and amino acid derivatives, while, in their laboratories, chemists discovered and isolated it will ever new types. Also produces food additives that were part of, for millennia, taste and nutrition Eastern Europe.
But all their studies and their research indicated, and predicted that most of the amino acids would become, increasingly, the raw material for the chemical pharmaceutical, for the production of food supplements for the production of additives and even cosmetics and beauty products. And the biggest and most important insurance and pharmaceutical industries, in addition to the U.S., were in Europe.
had come in Italy to state participation in association with the program and then propose to the partners at the appropriate moment, always new investments, new products and new markets, the partners now retired and PS were disinterested.
discovered that Italy, rispetto alle proprie aspettative, era un paese economicamente e politicamente instabile, dove era difficile, molto difficile, fare un programma pluriennale di investimenti e di produzioni in quanto il costo del lavoro, per esempio, era soggetto a forti sbalzi e vi erano molte ingerenze e perturbazioni da parte di ambienti esterni alla fabbrica (leggi i Sindacati).
Constatarono anche che, contrariamente a quel che si propagandava nelle sedi internazionali, non si facilitava l’investimento di capitali esteri se, poi, si ponevano limiti, lacci e lacciuoli per il ritorno delle rendite e degli utili all’estero e, perfino, per il pagamento dei debiti verso i creditori esteri.
Si era ormai nel pieno degli anni della so-called "strategy of terror," recalled later as the "leaden years", with almost daily attacks to politicians and businessmen, against trade unionists, journalists and academics, with accidents and riots in the universities and colleges, then continue down the street, with charges of police and some shot at head height, all widely reported and illustrated in the media, even foreign.
In June 1976, then, there were general elections in Italy, for the first time, gave the Italian Communists over 34 percent of the vote.
Some Japanese asked us:
- "And now, what will happen in Italy?" - And, to them, not sembrava credibile la nostra risposta che niente sarebbe cambiato. Si era in piena Guerra fredda e il minaccioso Gigante Sovietico, che per noi era qualcosa di lontano, loro, i giapponesi, l’avevano al di là del proprio confine ed era sempre minaccioso, non mostrandosi mai soddisfatto delle poche isole più settentrionali dell’arcipelago, sottratte all’Impero giapponese dopo la seconda Guerra Mondiale.
Inoltre, nella memoria elefantiaca della casa madre a Tokyo, era sempre presente la brutta fine della loro fabbrica della California durante la stessa guerra, e nessuno avrebbe voluto essere ricordato per la perdita di un’altra fabbrica in Italia.
Il Governo giapponese, tramite l’apposito Ministry of Industry, was present in corporate life, he inquired of industrial programs, new investments and was always ready to support logistics for companies with news, promotional campaigns and market research, facilitated the meeting between the entrepreneurs' associations and, above all, leading the meetings for any partnerships.
No Italian Ministry, but the whistle had been active in informing the Manfredonia plant. State holdings were concerned solely and exclusively of financial administration, had never asked for a multi-year plan of investment and industrial programming.
When the Japanese introduced to Dr. Cipriani, the latter had already become convinced that the only viable solution was to leave the INSUD by the Company.
But be careful. The reason was not due to distrust of the investment plans proposed, although it should be really up to the technical staff for their assessment, which was not present in INSUD and was not available among the staff of State Holdings.
The main reason, according to Dr. Cipriani, was that the para-social agreements signed at the time of the founding source had it wrong, because they had left the field open to the Japanese to do whatever they wanted, charged with indiscriminate cost of personnel, commissions, with full control of production and sales.
The result was that while the Japanese partner pulled out we had a little something from the establishment, in terms of experience, staff training, and why not, even for money, including expenses and fees, the Italian partner, there was only put a lot 'of money, including the initial capital and offset any loss.
him, Viareggio, explained:
- "Stay here just to make the puppet and continue to take the famous" cucumber "? Oh no, guys! Oh go! I'm sorry, but this will not be me! "-
to address at this point, a any program of new investment, the first thing to do, therefore, would be to review and renegotiate pacts para-social: it meant, in addition to what was already lost, you lose face and have to admit that he was wrong everything from the beginning, meant, therefore, point out and denounce those organs EFIM that at the time, having accepted that such an agreement.
It also meant having to then share with the Japanese, who were already talented and experienced some of the technical and operational responsibility for the plan. Forget it!
However, these final remarks of Dr. Cipriani, I learned only after some time the story of the factory was over, because, by mid-1975, had assumed the presidency of another company (the SOPAL) Barletta, while retaining the signature, combined with the Japanese Director, for payments and collections. The
preparing the papers on his desk and he "passed" to the signatures on time more and more unpredictable. Our conversations were always and only phone, but I did not think I no problem, at least until, with the approval of the last Budget of 1975, in the first half of 1976, resigned as Director and Board of Directors.
rightly, before leaving, and then before the outbreak of the final crisis, Cipriani brought, in Barletta, a couple of administrative colleagues, prepared to find other locations and venture into new experiences of work, while I, very naively, I chose to stay in my country.
I had understood that his sentence, by Ajinomoto, he should now just pull out everything that was good and worth the effort.
The "new life"
The crucial year, then, was 1976, it was decided that the future of the factory and its employees. The decision to close was taken in Tokyo, when the Japanese were now remained sole owner of society and therefore the reasons listed above, the attacks, the Communists, restrictive and contradictory, as well as increased costs and the importance of unions in the factory, were evaluated in Tokyo, far from the Italian reality.
It was decided to close the factory in the least painful, but it put something in terms of capital expenditure and, above all, they chose people that would govern this sale, together with the existing co-director of the Japanese factory and Chief Executive Officer present and in service in Milan.
Between September and October of 1976 we saw back in Italy, and settled in Milan, Dr.. Yamada, the graduated in law who came to eat at the table with me in Rome, and that little guy, dr. Okada, what, by department head, had extinguished the fire lit by the early Italian chemists and then head to the factory, the production had doubled and reached a record maximum productivity. They called back into service
Rag. Fraser and Dr. Hood, a former head of purchasing and became Plant Manager, who also graduated in law.
We, of course, knew nothing of the closure decision taken in Tokyo, we did not know the task entrusted to two Japanese called in Italy, much less the two included Italians, also called back into service. If someone knew everything was silent, and not necessarily for complicity with the Japanese, but in order to avoid or at least not cause accidents and rash reactions and unnecessary in the workforce.
In fact, when we entered the room of Mrs. Prof. to congratulate you, he rose from his desk and came toward us, not by courtesy or anything, but only for a moment of embarrassment, having to hide all the discussion that day , ie the transition to the operational phase as regards precisely the closure of the plant, having decided and programmed every action from that day onwards.
And he, like Cipriani, it seemed true that the employees had not realized that they were living in the last days of operation of the factory, that everything was being prepared there were no reactions, no hint of protest or simple agitation.
The offer made to me by Cipriani to accept another job at the SOPAL, the new Finance Corporation of EFIM for the food and the like, I was naturally flattered, and I realized that my refusal was the very sorry. For this reason I tried to maintain some contact, at least phone, though, for his constant movement, it was very difficult to follow him and grab it.
With the information received from a former colleague who had followed him, I was able to contact him in mid-December of 1976 and, after exchanging the usual greetings and pleasantries, he asked me
- "How are you over there at the factory?" -
Evidently he did not want to have news industrial progress, had now no interest in this sense, so I asked him what he meant embarrassed. He said
- "I mean, if the environment is all calm and quiet, or there are disturbances of employees, trade unions?" -
- "Yes," - I admitted I: - "in truth there was a request for information and explanations to the Japanese, but they have given assurances that he would not change anything on the industrial and productive. But this, some tempo fa, penso due o tre mesi fa. Perché, doveva succedere qualcos’altro?» -
- «No, no! Non necessariamente! Va bene! Meglio così.» -
Queste parole di Cipriani e, naturalmente, quelle quasi simili del Presidente, continuarono a frullarmi in mente per tutto il periodo del Capodanno. Al ritorno, mi accorsi che la stessa cosa era successa al collega Tavano ed insieme, cercammo di pensare a cosa potevamo fare.
Tentammo di dare la sveglia ai nostri sindacalisti ed ai nostri operai per invogliarli a chiedere precise garanzie sulla continuità del lavoro in fabbrica, ma fu un’opera molto difficile perché, per muoversi, loro ci chiedevano prove e documenti sure, and someone accused of scaremongering and lanterns to see fireflies. I must admit that
responsibly, if only I had a little busy, some evidence could be produced. In fact, with the end of 1976, was to end permanently the Intersind affiliate of the Company, the main trade union for the state-owned enterprises, to pass any of Confindustria. However, was renewed for the year 1977 Intersind membership to be renewed after the clarifications and explanations of the trade union member, who honestly wanted to highlight the requirements for membership.
Motivation the renewal was charged to ignorance of a foreigner for the rules and distinctions of the Italian bureaucracy, and our union workers accepted the explanation, indeed approved, because they were still undecided and they were still investigating the two employment contracts, one for companies semi-chemical and one for private companies to see which may have to choose, which would be more convenient for workers, such as minimum tabular and contract rules.
As chief executive after the resignation of Cipriani, I went to Milan, but often, at the time, and I found many fabricated excuses to go there to see what was going on. I managed to learn only that both the two Japanese che il Rag. Fraschetti e, quando era a Milano, lo stesso Dott. Cappuccio, frequentavano un ufficio milanese diverso dal nostro.
Una volta trovai in ufficio il Presidente Prof. Signora che si informò dei motivi della mia trasferta a Milano. Ci ero andato con la scusa di visitare alcuni clienti morosi, e lui mi incoraggiò a dedicarmi a quella incombenza. A sera, ritornando in Ufficio, tornai dal Presidente con la scusa di relazionare sulla mia missione, ma lo trovai molto spento, distratto e quasi assente con la mente, e non riuscii a formulargli nessuna delle domande preparatemi.
Mi dedicai quindi a pressare la Segretaria dell’ufficio milanese che, oltre ad essere molto riservata, era anche molto spaventata, and only after much persuasion, out of the office, told me that, in the days before many meetings had taken place the entire staff with a well-known lawyer in Milan and other assistants in his studio, and very often raised his voice, especially by Dr. Yamada.
In his opinion, the argument seemed destined to be the entry of new partners in society, or even the sale of the plant. Even my friend the seller, the family friend of the President, whenever I went to Milan was touring Europe. He returned to Manfredonia with anything concrete, but many feelings of alarm.
to divert the minds of employees from any sospetto di abbandono, Cappuccio iniziò a mostrare ed illustrare a tutti un suo progetto per la completa ristrutturazione dell’Amministrazione, compreso il Magazzino. In verità, quando mi riferì la sua idea, mi raccomandò la riservatezza sull’argomento che voleva condividere solo con me. Non mi fidavo della persona e, comunque, evitavo di dare risposte con la scusa che volevo pensarci su più a lungo.
Poi, l’ultima volta, mi chiamò nel suo ufficio per mostrarmi l’organigramma disegnato, di proprio pugno, da una delle mie collaboratrici nel quale lei stessa era posta al vertice ed io venivo retrocesso al rango di semplice impiegato, perché, come ci tenne a riferirmi: - «Mi ha detto che lei fa tutto il lavoro e tu te ne assumi tutto il merito!» -
Naturalmente non mi bevevo tutto quanto mi diceva, anche se, magari, poteva essere in parte vero che la ragazza mirasse in alto, ma poteva darsi il caso che il furbacchione avesse fatto scrivere l’organigramma sotto dettatura e la ragazza si fosse prestata. Questo perché mi aveva spesso porto dei fogli bianchi con l’invito a stilare la mia proposta. E questa idea mi fu suggerita dall’amico Tavano che, ascoltando quanto gli dicevo, mi confessò che anche lui era stato messo a parte, in via riservatissima ed “esclusiva” dello stesso progetto di ristrutturazione.
L’unico progetto che aveva in mente quella specie Director was to sow discord among us clerks. On the operational level, reduced sales and revenues, causing a new crisis of the Company. As an interim solution to this crisis, they asked me to suspend and delay the payment of suppliers to prioritize and carry out the payment of wages and salaries.
When I asked the new Directorate of Establishment, that Dr. Hood, as the intention was to get out of that situation of insolvency, they assured me that by the Deutsche Ajinomoto, it received a remittance of one million U.S. dollars, as soon as possible .
suppliers were the biggest, of course, those who provided us the materials chemical feedstocks and diesel, used to being paid on time to maturity of all of its customers, so they began to urge and request news, reminders, schedule, report to the Director, both Japanese and Italian.
These, at one point, he assured me we would talk to him for reassurance, because they all knew well from his former business of buying office. I do not know why but, after his speech, the raw materials began to delay deliveries, while someone is denied completely, refusing to provide materials, uncomfortable putting our production.
The Wave
Director Cappuccio era ritornato in fabbrica dopo un paio d’anni dal suo licenziamento, ma conosceva bene molti dei nostri sindacalisti e dei nostri operai, sapeva chi erano coloro tra i più rappresentativi ed i più carismatici. Sapeva anche della nostra “politica” di affiancamento e guida morbida dei sindacalisti. Dal suo arrivo, non faceva altro che girare per i reparti e parlare con gli operai, dicendo di voler instaurare un rapporto personale e collaborativo con loro.
C’è da precisare, anche se non c’entra niente, che lui camminava sempre con la pistola ben visibile alla cintola e tutti sapevamo, già da prima, di questa sua abitudine.
Come ho avuto modo di dire prima, del Consiglio di factory was part of a person not quite reliable and clear in his behavior, was not really a union but a politician who had recently become the secretary of the local PSIUP, the one with the big picture of Che Guevara, but I do not think he knew very of "Che" Guevara, and less than or Syndicalism Di Vittorio.
There was also, concurrently, and at the Plant Anic, the other end of Manfredonia, you were going through a phase of personal turmoil, but for other reasons. In fact, at the end of September 1976 there was an explosion at the factory with the expulsion of several tons of arsenic was also contaminated large areas of the country.
was production was halted, workers feared layoffs and dismissals or, for that reason, the ICFTU representative in our works council, the Provincial Secretary Lauriola Pasquale, was increasingly required and working at that plant, and at ours, even for the highest number of members CISL. And our little copings was free to do so in our factory all the damage that could, as the Director of the cap taken as the sole recipient for his utterances.
The beginning of the dispute was, as a terminal of the protest, always and only the system of State Holdings, which had "fled" on. It took our part of beautiful and good in trying to convince our trade unionists than once fled, came back no longer and, therefore, might as well ask, who was left, the Japanese, what they intend to make the factory.
When turmoil began with the first suppliers of raw materials, began to move even the union to ask for assurances about the future of the factory. But the labor relations took a strange turn, the Union became the first employee of the new direction it came to proclaim a strike at the factory in conjunction with a complete lack of raw materials, so you still should have stopped production.
On the sidelines of the crisis with suppliers, allow me to recount the incident that happened with the Directors of the establishment that gave us Anic Manfredonia caustic soda and ammonia. It was not our only supplier of these materials, but they knew it too, but that crisis was the only one willing to discuss the possibility of providing them.
In our meeting room, after a long and difficult discussion between the responsible technical and administrative Anic and intervention, in addition to our two directors, including our own Prof. Madam President, the ANIC agreed to the provision provided that provvedesse to prompt payment on delivery, stating that the driver would not a drop of downloaded material if he had not first been given a check, signed, and the balance for the full amount.
All agreed except me, the most practical thing, I pointed out that, on arrival at the factory, the tanker was weighing a charge first, then after unloading, reweighed to determine the tare weight, and thus calculate the weight Net raw material downloaded that, multiplied by the unit price agreed to determine the exact amount of the provision.
After several attempts to resolve the impasse at the end Anic the Managing Director, Dr. Bifulco, my personal friend, said he would agree at the outlet of the tank only when he got the confirmation call, on my part, I had signed the check, made payable all'ANIC and white for the amount, to be completed when the tare, and this event occurred for at least two or three cases.
The actual crisis began, more or less, in March 1977 with the strikes, and immediately began to speak of "occupying the factory by the workers. Trying to go the original idea of \u200b\u200boccupying the factory, all leading to a specific "call" party by the Director-cap: we did not like this solution, even less if coming from the plant manager.
Stessa sensazione, per fortuna, venne ad alcuni più esperti sindacalisti per i quali, comunque, il Direttore era il rappresentante della proprietà e, se consigliava l’occupazione subito, agiva nell’interesse di questi, sebbene assicurasse del contrario. Dai nostri giapponesi veniva solo una formale assicurazione che stessero lavorando per noi.
Dopo gli scioperi e le Assemblee di fabbrica, si ricorse ad altre manifestazioni, anche esterne al recinto dello stabilimento, per coinvolgere e far intervenire le autorità amministrative e gli uomini politici e tutti, a parole, ci assicurarono la propria solidarietà ed il proprio fattivo interessamento.
Parlando tra noi, quelli che eravamo le figure apicali, i quadri dello stabilimento, unanimemente, scegliemmo che saremmo rimasti al fianco delle maestranze. Questo per vari motivi personali e magari diversi dall’uno all’altro, ma tutti eravamo convinti che la fabbrica potesse salvarsi e rimanere aperta, magari passando di proprietà, perché, come struttura aziendale, la ritenevamo valida ed in grado di produrre utili.
Per gentile concessione del Rag. Michele Brunetti
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