ITAS Prvomajska, a Croatian metalworking company, draws international attention as a rare case of workers’ control in the former Yugoslavia. In this photo, an Argentinian activist-scholar, his translator, and a Croatian documentarian stop in front of the mural “Factories to Workers,” while on a tour of the factory led by the union representative. The mural, painted by two Serbian artists, shows scenes of work and protest, as well as important dates in the struggle for ownership.
The newspaper story titled “Guilty For Damaging ITAS!” on an improvised bulletin board in the paint shop details the verdict against Marija Brezovec, the previous owner. She and her accomplices were found guilty for selling company assets under market value to family members and friends, inflicting a large damage to the company that lead to bankruptcy in 2005 and the workers’ takeover in 2007. The photos depict workers vacationing at the company’s resort, which Marija Brezovec has left to ruin.
The average machine in the factory is around 35 years old. Investment in new machines is limited due to a lack of access to credit under favorable conditions. However, decades of experience allow old workers to make the best use of their old manual machines. These machines are not fast and reliable enough for mass production, but they are utilized in batch production of machine tools and job production of spare parts for other companies, which is the market niche the company has found.
Competition puts great pressure on ITAS to invest in fixed capital. Since the takeover, the company has acquired 7 new and 4 refurbished CNC machines. Although more productive than older machines, modern machines are not necessarily better for the type of work ITAS does; knowledge and expertise related to material properties of metal and metalworking techniques, access to financing, and divisions among workers all have bearing on the way workers think about the value and utility of machines.
Workers spend their break time together smoking, having coffee, playing card games, or watching video clips on mobile phones. After the workers’ takeover, the union leader became president of the management board; he and other union representatives make sure that the rules from the collective bargaining agreement are implemented. The level of protection for workers’ rights is higher and the discipline is less strict in ITAS than in other Croatian companies.
Ognjen Kojanić 