Bumar
Fabryka Broni

Snapshots of the Prewar Fabryka's Life

On April 11, 1935, the Fabryka Broni engineers have started the first local branch of the SIMP, the Polish Mechanical Engineers Association (SIMP-Radom). The Chairman of the branch was elected Msc. Eng. Eustachy Gutkowski, with TadeuszAnkowski and Janusz Tymowski as his deputies, Ludomir Dzier¿anowski as the branch secretary and Witold Ulatowski as a treasurer. The purposes of the branch was to propagate the technical progress, take active part in technical education of the industrial cadres, including the Radom Technical Courses Association, aiming to form a nucleus of the future Radom Technical University. The SIMP-Radom branch numbered 41 members.

In 1937 Rumanian king Charles II, during his tour of the Central Industrial Area visited Fabryka Broni and stayed there for the duration of his visit. For this occasion a simple three-room wooden camping house was erected for the distinguished guest in the factory park.

Two main trade unions were active at the prewar Fabryka Broni. At first, during the 1925-27 period the local branch of the Christian Professional Unity was the main workers’ organization. Then, in 1928, an FB’s own branch of the General Labor Confederation was started, and quickly became the leading union amongst the blue collar workers – not o­nly of the FB, but soon enough, in November 1928, evolved into a GLC’s District Branch for the Radom area. In early 1930s the white-collars have started a trade union of their own, the Intellectual Employees of the Fabryka Broni Trade Union. During the Great Economic Crisis there were several strikes at the FB. The largest o­ne started o­n March 16, 1932, when o­ne third of the workforce stepped off from their machines. The strikers were severely punished, pay demotions and lay-offs were numerous. Economic crisis led to cuts in numerous financial advantages, used to lure the qualified workers to these rural areas, and meant to encourage professional advancement of the employees. In 1933 a fourteenth, and then also a thirteenth monthly pays (introduced in December 1927) were first reduced, then altogether abolished. o­n December 1, 1930 the Fabryka Broni had 2967 employees working 6 o­ne-shift days a week, and o­n January 1, 1939, there were already 4635 employees working in two shifts a day. The mechanical workers, assembly shop employees, as well as woodworkers were working piece rate, while the auxiliary branches (electrics, tool-making, repair shop, administration, security and warehouse staff) were working day rate. The bonuses were issued to award effectiveness – both individual and in whole divisions. The Fabryka also pro-actively supported the professional advancement of the personnel, organizing and paying for evening technical classes led by the Radom Technical Courses Association.