Harmati Gábor: Utasellátó 60 (Budapest, 2009)

93. View of Budapest Airport from the café terrace 94. Team on trip, the 1 970 s National Catering Company at the beginning. Moreover, the company took over the kiosks and staff of the biggest Hungarian travel agency (IBUSZ) in 1951, which added 700 more employees to the company's crew. The original National Catering Company offices had no more the capacity to host the overgrown company, so the company set up its own headquarters. The condition of the headquarters reflected the general conditions in the contemporary Budapest: a couple of coalfired stoves, two telephones and an outhouse served the officers; an abandoned police stable and a coffin store were the building's neighbours. In spite of the dire straits at the headquarters, the officers had their benefits, too: they were entitled to the same reduced fares and allowances as the railway's employees, they had the right, for example, to have a holiday at the company's summer resort or to take their children to the crèche and to the kindergarten. The Communist regime wanted to make sure that employees spent their spare time "in a useful way", it wanted to keep them motivated to do sports or educate themselves. The Catering Company had its own library, drama group and sports club; the sports club proved to be very successful, some of its divisions have survived up until our days. However, it was even controlled and regulated with whom employees spent their spare time. Employees were forced into teams (brigades), which competed with each other and it was highly disapproved if a member did not take part in trips, theatre visits and "voluntary work" (the last expression was a euphemism for working for free after working hours or at weekends). The wind of change was felt at the Catering Company after 1956 - just like in the whole county. The majority of the pre-1956 leaders was dismissed from their positions and the softening political and economic climate