DIALOGUES WITH KARPOV
Benjamin P. Carpov
Miller automobile plant of the Lenin Komsomol (production association "Moskvich"), Hero of Socialist Labor
This is a low dense human c watchful eyes brown eyes are not counted among the whitelist a specific category of people. Not only in appearance, but in conversation, unless, of course, do not ask where he works, what does work. His judgments are fresh, and the mature stand.
After all, who is he? Benjamin P. Karpov for thirty five years of running a milling machine. The war in the fourteenth year Never in my life led him to the factory. The first of his seventeen-year master Toll Gumel led beginner to the machine and offered a stool under your feet ... As if trying to Venya Karpov to do well for the details of the boxes of fuses! He knew that they were sent to the partisans.
For three and a half decades Karpov only once changed the place of work when he received the appointment after school. His last thirty years, Benjamin P. chest, not only in the same shop, but also in the same workplace. He milling tool-stamp production of the Moscow Automobile Factory of the Lenin Komsomol. He was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.
The reader may have thought: Do not be bored for so long to work at the same place? And I asked, why could not move, go to the engineers and managers?
- Do not want to, but not once have been possible. For example, after he graduated from the machine without leaving school. Why do not you like? Work-wagon can not be pro-worker, though he be a genius. In order to learn the subtleties of one thing, it is necessary to devote his life. So I respect people who do not change their occupation and place of work. As for the managerial position, you'd better be a good worker, what a bad director ...
His judgments are different directness, honesty, inner conviction. I wanted to learn more Karpov: really so complicated milling profession that requires years to master?
Benjamin P. slyly flashing eyes, and laid on the table in front of a large palm, conspiratorially close to my face. Just then I noticed that his hands every day deal with the metal and machine oil.
- I'm lucky, maybe more than other milling machine. In our tool-die manufacturing make all sorts of things-the most complex control devices, gauges, patterns. Using them in other shops people control the shape and size of units of cars. The designer has conceived a new form of the machine, we must create new calibres. Sometimes polsmeny to think that the clearance between the parts reached the micron size. In short, the work must be more head than his hands. And it is always interesting. If taken seriously, even to the simplest case, it will find something that you did not find to others.
- Yes, but there are not all the way to their work. Yes, you know, and bungler, and indifferent, and flyers.
- I must admit, it is also concerned about Benjamin, became serious Petrovich.-In my opinion, this is because the young man often dazzled by the abundance of the vital roads open before him. Some people are scheduled for a most difficult and steep road, while others are trying to choose a stitch poprotoptanney and easier ...
- What do you think, why is it there?
- On a good reason. Here, for example, the construction of factories. I support the idea that the mind put new plants. Do not build them in the city where there has been an acute shortage of manpower. And what happens in practice? Any bulletin board adorned with pieces of paper: "Wanted," "Wanted" ... Come to the plant a young guy from the vocational school or high school. It is clear that the matter has not yet mastered. His work not only learn, but the first time and pay extra, ie, give more than earned.
This is a bad influence on the immature man: he is gradually getting used to, as it were an extra charge. Try not to supplement already-running with a piece of paper: "I beg to fire at will ..." For it knows that the next plant to be welcomed with open arms. And there is also the first months of "withdrawal" earnings. Was replaced by a man three or four places, and in the habit of dependency. Only then people will really appreciate the ruble and the honest endeavor to get an increase when his salary will be truly earned.
But we do not always know how to use the money to improve the efficiency of labor, for the education of our socialist morality. The money must be applied in the smartest possible. In my opinion, many cases of mismanagement and indifference to the matter, absenteeism, misconduct would have been impossible if the system is reset clear responsibility ruble from his pocket a particular offender.
- How to implement such a system in practice?
- Caused damage to the state, is responsible not only morally but also financially, hand-sliced Karpov air. - To work honestly, was the master of his craft, to help others get the same level with him, honor you, and good earnings. No leveling and vyvodilovki! So consider our workers. I see this. if you want economic democracy.
- Why do people work differently, though they have the same qualifications?
- Because the level of consciousness is not the same. One injected from the soul, the other focuses more on recreation, leisure time on the fun. Here the results obtained by different labor. But very often at the same time, and a slacker, and conscientious worker equalized material, are almost the same salary. A person ought to contribute to the common cause, and tighter assessment of its work to engage in a knot. When there is no leveling, there will be no idlers.
Karpov spoke fervently about all this, and it seemed to me that all this worries him a long time. I am reminded that on many issues, of which we speak, the Party and Government in July 1979 took important decisions that the more perfect the mechanism of managing a new deal with many issues of incentives, which expanded the rights of labor collectives in assessing the outcome of each member of the team.
- Yes, we have already started to create teams on the shop floor with payment by results, 'said Karpov., of course, it is subtle, it affects everyone, and therefore requires considerable preparatory work. If you pay for one, together we must first plan the way people work in the shop. We need a new technological documentation. In a word, have all production, all factory planning as a guidance to the team. And most importantly, to carry out this work immediately around the shop and even a plant. And it is often how? Create a single exponential brigade, and in this case is considered complete. The return on the same team for the shop, of course, is small.
At another time ... our conversation took place in close master closet, tucked away in the attic of the shop. At the bottom of the narrow door, powerful motors hummed brightly lit room. It employed hundreds of machines.
- Look, look like the top of our shops. Because of the tightness is difficult to turn.
I asked Karpov:
- What is the most sensitive issue at work?
- There are many, sighed Benjamin Petrovich.-first, slowly updated machinery. For decades, the working machines. Sometimes it's time to be melted down, and it must include every day. Here I have for twelve years running machine without major repairs. And he was supposed to be ten under the press, and for remelting. But I still "young." There are twice as older.
And it hurt that: machines, then our country produces more than anyone else in the world and sometimes you think, where they are sent? It turns out that a lot is distributed on the "cavern"-a small and powerful little factory and workshops.
Most modern machines are often not the one who creates a machine. On such a large company like ours, a good machine would work 15-18 hours a day, while the repairmen for example, if polsmeny ride, and thank you. I think we should wisely allocate new equipment.
The second difficulty, Karpov went on, 'there is still no solid order in the mass distribution of new products.
Often to our factory come the innovators, show amazing tricks work, unusual instruments, twice - three times Acceleration. The inventor has his hands in the mill, were used as an Easter egg. He, of course, gladly leaves us his new designs and goes back where you came. But would such tools equip us through the week or the entire machinery of the factory!
But where they make? Even on such a large plant like ours, there is nowhere commercially produce novelties.
No free technology and working for this business. All the cast on the plan. I think that this practice must stop. We must take care not only about the plan, but, more importantly, about what it provide.
I thought that it was I questioned Karpov only on production? I wanted to ask and not quite normal: it is hard or easy burden is the title of Hero of Labour?
Indeed, in the union, he is still the only hero of Labor. We have to share it and work experience, and sit in the presidium meetings, and travel around the other plants. How in these conditions, he managed to still finish its current five-year personal back in August 1978?
- This question is embarrassing to me to answer, but I'll be honest: not particularly grieving that is filled with "the eyeballs" is not only working, but all the free time. Is not the happiness of man? Of course, I am proud of the high estimation of my work and try to keep the title of Hero of as high as possible. We have to speak to young people and for our country to the frontiers of the delegations to ride. Did you refuse, when asked to speak before the youth of premilitary age, so that after serving in the Armed Forces have returned to a native plant, or in the sponsored school to talk about his favorite occupation? As in these cases, I have a plan?
Compensating, firstly, due to professional experience. Thirty-five years to work out, it means something. Secondly, we have and. Grab Saturday and detained after the change. But to his friends in the plant, my conscience is clear. They will not say of me: "He goes, sits, and his work started." This, I probably would not stand ... Of course, it is not so simple. And take this, as you say, "wear" it is difficult. Often I meet in the Central Union of Mechanical Engineering, of which I am, with other workers. Many of them are on holidays, too, at Gold Star. Almost all complain that too much time they spend in meetings and travel.
Because of this, not everyone is able to cling to the workers' seat. "
A little behind in implementing the program, not just avoid reproach from his comrades. The problem, I think, we must always keep in mind.
***
Not a dialogue we had with Benjamin Petrovich Karpov. And every once in our conversations Karpov tried to emphasize that he thinks and lives, as many of his comrades, that such work is, of course, very, very much. And it is quite natural in our environment.
Benjamin P. Karpov is involved in any innovative initiative, which is so rich in instrumental and die manufacturing AZLK.
He once remarked: "If every veteran of labor, master of his craft will train for his life to art work and the right to live at least three people, good people will be four times as much." Over three decades of his work in a team, I think, no one who would not have felt the impact of a healthy Benjamin Petrovic.
He has over ten years as head of the party group. Even more time-permanent member of the guild organization of the party bureau of the Communists.
At the time partgruporg Karpov, speaking to the workers, said:
let each part of the plant will win the right to be called exemplary. Then this will all join. And if all of Moscow's factories will conquer this height, then the capital of the country will become a model communist city. This appeal Karpov and his comrades have already carried out work in practice. Land toolmakers, where works Hero of Socialist Labor Benjamin P. Karpov, first at the automobile plant of the Lenin Komsomol won the title of a model.
***
This has happened in the ocean, in the Canadian city of Toronto on one of the subsidiaries of Ford's assembly plants. In a group of Soviet workers Veniamin Petrovich came across the ocean at the invitation of the Canadian union. In the glare of searchlights, sent to all parties on the scene, Karpov answered the questions of Canadian workers and the life of the Soviet Union.
When the meeting was coming to an end, Karpov, he asked the organizers of the evening the question: how many workers at Ford's got a year free trips to resorts? In the hall there was a strange laugh: "Return all of us in Canada tours are free."
Veniamin Petrovich asked this question again, because guess what the interpreter the word "resort" scared with some other word (it turned out, the word "crematorium"). But when the question was translated accurately, in the room became very quiet, because it was not laughing over nothing.
That's what I learned about the life of Benjamin Petrovic Karpov, that's what were i.pni dialogues with him.
