The chronicle of Eger Tobacco Factory

The chosen company

From the Socialist planned economy to the so-called “simulated” market economy, we carried on in a schizophrenic state of mind.

And it was with just such irresolute steps that the VGMKs (Company Enterprise Cooperatives) were established. The contradiction here was that company employees using company resources and after working hours worked for the company on the basis of a separate contract, and for more money. As a next step the government established the system of state companies directed by the Company Council in the hope that this was actually a step forward. The Eger Tobacco Factory was among the first to undergo transformation. The company was eventually freed of Treasury, later Trust, and finally state control in March 1985 when the Company Council was formed with 25 members, of whom the workers selected 13 and the remaining 12 were appointed by the director. The Company Council had the power to elect the director and establish his bonus, while the director set the workers’ wages. Decisions were born in peaceful agreement where things went well, and in the Eger Tobacco Factory things went very well. The management did not abuse its position, a healthy balance was maintained between the utilization of revenue for wage rises and investments, making possible technical development while retaining financial interest. Meanwhile there was no change in the system of market distribution. The now independent tobacco factories did not relinquish their combined monopolistic position attained through DOHÉSZK;

cooperation remained instead of competition. And this cooperation was of the “I’ve caught a tiger by the tail, and it won’t let me go” sort, that is that no single manufacturer wanted to walk out, or to “smash up” what was in place, fearing that those

The Company Council in Hainburg Dr. György Szalóczi, President of the Company Council is second left, with Tibor Bárány behind him

From 1973 on, for 15 summers running the most challenging physical work for factory women was the “selection of tobacco”. Rózsika Várhelyi in 1974, among bales of Heves-county tobacco.