Workers
In the first half of May 1966, ended my stay in Rome and was transferred to Manfredonia, preparing for the removal of the rest of the employees who was then in early June. The factory was the Director, Eng. Raffetto, Milan, which had already begun talks for the selection and recruitment of workers.
Soon after my appointment, in Rome, I had received in his hands, with the task of classifying and sorting the mountain of applications for recruitment of my countrymen who aspired to a job in what was the first industry installatasi in Manfredonia, and many were my friends or just acquaintances.
With the new year approaching and the start of production, many of those who first aspired to be hired as employees, remade the application to enter as workers, and many hide the possession of a high school diploma.
Dr. Cantarella, head of the Chemical Laboratory, told me that in his opinion, the best worker assigned to the Laboratory would be an "almost" graduated, since they would not have found the experts "Chemical analyst" in the area but would have had to train with in-house training. In fact, the first of the Laboratory were hired young graduates who, for purposes of employment, had hidden the diploma.
In mid-June was taken up the bulk of the workforce, and each had its own destination, assigned by the Director, assisted by various department heads, the Italian chemical industry. I must confess that the choice of director was very careful and reasoned, even though they often had to listen to the "reports" of the various authorities.
Most of the workers was, of course, originally from Manfredonia or resident there, but there were also from Monte Sant'Angelo, Mattinata, Foggia San Giovanni Rotondo and indeed many of the maintenance engineers were Foggia.
groped wanted to give the beginning of the "advice" to the director, but he stopped me right away, inviting me to stay in my place. Only after having observed the delivery, it was he himself who, in some cases, I asked for opinions on some people, but by asking the specific questions to which I answer with confidence, and without comments are not required.
applications for employment were much more than a thousand, two hundred of them were hired who, immediately, acquired eight hundred enemies, frustrated and unfulfilled, which stood at the window ready to denigrate the assumptions, the factory, work and who knows what else, in what motivated and encouraged by those who were many and continued to do their old job, in black.
All the workers were hired and classified in the fifth level, the lowest of the employment contract, receiving a salary of just over forty thousand pounds a month, but most remained, with the hope that, sooner or later, the level would be improved.
were recruited for the production departments, construction workers, craftsmen ex, a former industrial workers returned from northern Italy or Germany. One of the first made by man was a tailor, well known in that country, of course, had closed up shop and had enrolled unemployed Office Distribution: This caused the closure of so many other tailors in the country.
They left the place immediately, taking leave, those who could not accept such a miserable salary, or because they engaged in debt or mortgage loans to purchase the house, and resumed to emigrate to Germany, or because they had other outlets more profitable, even precarious, and that was the case with the auxiliary marine fisheries that occasionally earned much more in black, a couple returned to board merchant ships, and were graduates of the Institute Boat, in my opinion, between the Institutes Technicians, for the subjects studied, it is one that trains technicians di più alto profilo.
Per le officine e i servizi tecnici di fabbrica, furono assunti meccanici ed ex artigiani, ma la ricerca fu ardua per l’assunzione dei tecnici patentati per la conduzione delle caldaie a vapore, non perché non si trovassero, ma perché non accettavano il salario loro offerto, per cui si andò alla vera trattativa, offrendo categoria superiore e superminimi. Stessa cosa per qualcuno dei meccanici o degli elettricisti più esperti.
Il primo e più anziano dei fuochisti patentati era anche colui che riuscì ad avere il salario più alto e la terza categoria, e tutti n’erano a conoscenza. Sarà stato per questo motivo che una notte, agli inizi dell’attività, was asked for his intervention in case of emergency: caustic soda in pumping from the tank to the department, it was realized that the pipe had a leak and spilled some on the ground.
had not been created yet the manager on duty, but in any case, it was its duty to intervene, would have to wake up to their supervisor who, in turn, would have had to wake the person responsible for maintenance, which should have been a wake team of workers for the emergency but the latter, the rest were all foreigners. But he wanted to prove that the local workforce was at the height of any situation.
was a fireman who, until then, had much sailed on merchant ships in around the world. He put together a team of emergency and put on the waxed the fire, put himself under the big jet of a hose that was raining on his head, the broad-brimmed hat, a fireman, and with glasses and welder, put a " piece "temporary pipe without interrupting the flow of caustic soda in the supply pipe.
the morning, all of them, Italian and Japanese, learned of the thing, and great was the general astonishment. The Director, however, sent for him later on, there was talk about everything and then: - "For the success of the intervention, not having to stop production, you expect praise. Since, however, was not his task and he risked his own safety, I am forced to impose a reprimand and a warning not to repeat such a thing more. "-
-" Director, "- said the stoker: -" I could not pull back! I had to show us what we're made Siponto! "-
-" For first spoke to the Managing Director! As a man and as a coach, I must just say: BRAVO! "-
The fireman called Candido Collicelli and was an upright person, generous, affectionate as well as being the father of many children.
But there were also negative aspects. One morning I was called by the Director to show him some documents, but first asked me to Wait until you sign some papers, inviting me to sit. At one point he laughed uproariously at his usual, commenting: - "... orca! They were made out in three months! "- I asked what it was and he explained: -" They ask me to buy a new set of wrenches for the workshop. You know what that means? That in three months of starting, all the keys are gone, if they are taken and take home! "-
course I felt very humiliated and regretted it, although, like all the other leaders and higher often forgot that I was a native. But then, of course, reading it in my face feel, continued explaining:
- 'Look, this is normal, that happens in all the factories! On the other hand, we can put a controller, but how much does it cost? You know better than me how much an employee, certainly more than a million pounds, how much they cost four sets of keys in a year! Without saying that then it will be a controller of the controller, and so on. After all, sooner or later, the phenomenon is reduced and will be exhausted, though never entirely: the complete set of keys at home or in the workshop, no? Mica can eat them?! "-
Japanese.
not moved to Manfredonia Dr. Fukazawa, who was at the Office Rome with Yamada at least another year before being replaced by a new CEO, also Japanese.
production began, with the inevitable hitches and the inevitable mistakes. Each production department had its head, one of the good Italian chemists, supported by the "consultant" Japanese, one or more than one, an expert working. Then there were the Deputy, at least two for the department, recruited from among graduates in Agriculture, Practical Organic Chemistry.
Unfortunately none of the land surveyors had to Manfredonia, but came from the surrounding countries, and found themselves in close contact with certain other qualified workers. The workforce was divided into groups and, each department, there were shifts that covered all 24 hours of the day, including Sundays.
Italian chemists carrying out their work during daylight hours and, after ten hours, they returned to their homes. Japanese chemists who assist them were also sixteen or eighteen hours a day, alone or with other colleagues. The colony of Japanese engineers in this period had increased to about a dozen technicians, including the chief chemical and the latter gave orders, in principle, only of his own assistants, but often violent ways and rather unusual for the Italian situation.
At this point, perhaps, I should point it was understood the business organization giapponese. Il giapponese, per natura e per educazione, aveva il massimo rispetto per le gerarchie e per i superiori, ma era, più che un rispetto, quasi una venerazione, prova ne sia la serie di inchini che, per consuetudine, variavano a seconda il diverso grado gerarchico tra le persone che s’incontravano: più profondo e insistito se il superiore fosse uno o più gradini più in alto dell’altro.
Il lavoratore giapponese, una volta assunto da un datore di lavoro, era sicuro che ci avrebbe lavorato insieme per tutta la vita, sempre che si fosse comportato in maniera da soddisfare le richieste e le esigenze del lavoro. Il datore di lavoro, per togliere dalla mente del lavoratore ogni eventuale “distrazione” that could affect performance, it is directly concerned with the health of the employee and his family, education and study, even of the same employee if they showed to be particularly inclined, and his old age.
A sad fate awaits the official kicked off with demerit: hardly have found someone willing to hire him and he would have had to settle for menial tasks and despised by all, or become a beggar, or worse, a criminal.
If the company launched out, the employee was happy because, in addition to consolidate their work, could hope that some day, if he deserved, he could enter the same holding his son, this is because, in any case, Japanese society was above all "merit" but also "paternalistic."
And just as a "pater familias", severe and inflexible, it involved the "boss" at any level, rewarding good and punishing the bad guys. As a union, not even the shadow.
Among the chemicals that were in our "parent" the Japanese had made quite a stir to see that, before starting their work day, the Japanese worker, along with all their colleagues, following orders of a speaker and close to their jobs, make some brief exercises gymnastic and then, always together, we sang the hymn of the company in which he thanked "the good lord" or his good manager for the gratification of the job.
Among our workers, however, made quite a stir in the treatment suffered by a deputy of chemicals more good and nice, tall and athletic when he was reprimanded by his department head, Dr. Okada, little and minute, in a loud voice and with the index finger pointing up to the diaphragm of the victim, pushed him in small steps and small tapping should up to a corner of the ward where he continued to suffer, attention, naming and tapping, bowing and thanking.
Most Japanese engineers, vice chemicals, were young and unmarried men with a university degree and, as planned, would have remained in Manfredonia a couple of years before returning home. They lived in groups and were working in factories, sometimes with only one machine group, so that when one of them, for reasons of service, was forced to stay in the factory, all the others stayed behind and tried to help him hurry.
Regarding the inclusion of the Japanese community in the village, there were no problems of this kind, for the simple reason that the Japanese were doing in their community life and, compared to the surrounding environment, they had no other contact except with shopkeepers and restaurateurs. In
Indeed, there was a beginning of integration as long as he remained in Manfredonia Dr. Komori, and his two teenage daughters and wife in Japan, was a teacher in secondary schools. Mother and daughters participated in the 1966 Carnival parade, wearing their rich robes and colorful Japanese, and were very successful, but it was the only chance.
Indeed, with the ease of children in overcoming all the barriers, the Japanese girls Komori had contacts with some contemporaries of the great building in which they lived, and I discovered when, after persistent requests, I visited the house and Komori's family with my girlfriend. However, I must confess
that what m'impressionò more, apart from the warmth and courtesy, was to see beautifully sharp in the exhibition, on a long low cabinet, many statues side by side, from lowest to highest in the center, then continues, on the other hand, always to the lowest: in the middle there was the dark statue of St. Anthony of Padua, flanked by plaster reproduction of Michelangelo's David and the alabaster statue of the Archangel Michael at Monte Sant'Angelo Then the puppets of the Nativity, with St. Joseph and the shepherds, and various other figures, all in a curious mixture of sacred and profane.
The Italians.
The direct counterparts in the Japanese engineers were the deputy head of Italian, land surveyors who also acted as head round, all foreigners and all shared the general prejudice of our "neighbors and fellow countrymen: that the" Manfredonia "in general , has little desire to work.
In truth, this injury is the result of the assumption, yes exactly, that the "Manfredonia" especially like to have fun, but not necessarily, at work, they are all "lazy". In practice, wrong approach, went the wrong way in the management of the working group: some of the Italian deputy chief believed that their task was simply to denounce the most reckless. The department heads
Italian organized working groups of workers and establish their shifts. They were all already experienced and had already covered in other industries, the roles assigned to them, all except the youngest, Dr. Gilli, just graduated with honors, which was the first head of the department "H2", that which would begin production by fermentation.
fact, the type of work was "continuous duty" and "process", as in almost every chemical in the sense that the work begun in the first division and then move to the next, until al reparto finale di confezionamento.
La materia prima era immessa in uno dei fermentatori, un serbatoio gigantesco in acciaio inossidabile, e qui era inoculata la “coltura” dei “batteri”, con aria compressa e con qualche sostanza organica che aiutava il batterio a nutrirsi, il tutto sotto stretto controllo e con continui prelievi per analizzarne l’andamento.
La durata della fermentazione era più o meno prevedibile, ma dipendeva da molteplici fattori come la temperatura esterna, la consistenza zuccherina della materia prima e forse da qualcos’altro che non ho mai saputo.
Naturalmente i giapponesi erano esperti in quel tipo di fermentazione, mentre gli italiani erano alle prime weapons, so that once at the beginning, it happened that at the time to stop the fermentation so complete, and pass the matter to the next bay, the technicians were present only Japanese and the Italians, their arrival in the morning, they found everything already Indeed, imagine how much satisfaction with, and this created the first overt disagreements between Italian and Japanese.
The justification was that, having arrived at that point in the process, there was the chance to wait and delay the processing operations, otherwise damage to the substance, resulting in overflow of sewage and all significant financial loss, in addition to lack of production. But the Italians scolded
the Japanese non-cooperation in the planning: knowing more or less time, were expected to find, even at night. Moreover, all we knew why they chose Dr. Gilli as head H2, was the youngest, least experienced and the most gentle and polite, not "sgam" like the others who protested and pointed her feet to get more respect .
With disagreements between chemical Italian and Japanese, were created among the workers the "parties" favorable to one of the few, and the Italians, the majority, which appears to result in the production. The Director, Eng. Raffetto, tried to act as peacemaker between the two factions explaining com'entrambi were useful and essential to the factory.
Unfortunately, precisely in these situations was "an accident". It seems that a land surveyors, a deputy department head, using methods little urban, but only a voice, urging one of the workers to perform a certain task and these, rather than do so immediately, a formal request to linger over, all under the eyes of a "consultant" Japanese, knowing the task at hand, exasperated, upset intervened by grabbing and pulling the arm the reluctant worker, causing him to fall, or knock against something metal, giving him a slight wound and contusion.
broke out a case diplomatico internazionale, con implicazioni sindacali e patriottici, naturalmente alimentato e fomentato dai chimici italiani. La Commissione Interna, come all’epoca si chiamava la rappresentanza sindacale interna, chiese al Direttore le spiegazioni e l’allontanamento del “colpevole”, giacché non “sapeva” come si gestisce il personale in Italia.
Si cominciarono a svelare molti altri scontri o diatribe, più o meno ravvicinati, avvenuti prima dell’incidente; si misero nel mirino anche quei Periti agrari che si comportavano da “aguzzini” o spie; si venne a sapere che spesso a sera, dopo cena, molti dei giovani tecnici giapponesi ritornavano in fabbrica quasi ubriachi. Si vennero to know even the reasons for the abandonment of Mr. Cantarella that, as a true gentleman, when he realized that it would be only half a Laboratory Head, without controversy, preferring to return to his Schiaparelli. The Directorate
Italian, in the persons of the engineer. Raffetto, Eng. Ciceri and Managing Director, stepped in to pacify the spirits and were able to make Japanese friends to understand that in Italy, the "top" can not use your hands (and fortunately there was still the Workers' Statute).
It was agreed however that the Japanese would have been reduced as staff numbers and that would be chosen only technical regularly married, meanwhile, after a few days of "suspension", the chemical culprit of the revolution returned to the factory, but soon his work in the laboratory, before returning to Japan.
Chemists Italian retired on the Aventine, all compact and united, led, of course, Dr. Giavelli. I think there was some negotiation, but the result, however, was that in a short time and fired Giavelli Giappicucci, immediately followed by Eng. Ciceri and this, in any case, it was a great loss to the factory, given the power of people. He
Dr. Fontana, not for acceptance of its position by half, but for genuine and serious grounds of family prevented him from moving. Dr. Gilli remained in a way that seemed to accept his position as head of the department halved H2, where the little raging his Japanese counterpart, Dr. Okada, destined soon to reap the fruits of his victory, becoming the head of Japanese technical staff, replacing the first Dr. Komori, the head of production, and then the engineer. Saito, head of the entire Japanese team, returned to Japan. Dr. Okada also returned to Italy in 1976.
After a few months, Gilli resigned to go to Brazil, Dr. Giavelli reaching there. For his farewell, he wanted to leave a "gift" to Mr. Okada, but it was a drop in style for that nice and handsome young man.
Dr. Fontana was "posted" at the Research Institute of Bari Breda Here he continued, and deepened, his personal research on wastewater treatment systems, exploiting the acquired in our factory, and after a few months , returned to his Bologna and set up before an industrial consulting firm, on its own disposal systems and sewage treatment, then patenting a real technical system.
effects "accident", and all that followed, felt and long-term and, in my opinion, then radically changed the whole attitude of Japanese towards the Italians. If any of our "guests" could have had the idea to integrate further into the city or to work after the "incident" had to change his mind and preferred to remain at his post.
Courtesy of Rag. Michele Brunetti
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