During this period, the average number of workers was between 1,500 and 2,000. In 1868, the factory workers founded the Workers’ Loan and Pension Association and Consumer Cooperative, which dealt with old-age pensions and the provision of cheap goods to workers. They also had an independent sick-aid and funeral association.
Sociologist Manó Somogyi wrote a longer study about the factory workers in 1888. The survey provides important information about the working conditions and social situation of the highly stratified factory workers. Among other things, it turns out that only men worked in the factory, in 25 different professions. Out of 100 workers, 21 were foreigners, most of them came from Austrian territories, but there were also Galician, Dalmatian, Istrian, German, Italian, Swiss, Romanian, Dutch, and Slovak workers. Most of the domestic workers were from Óbuda. Strict discipline prevailed in the factory: smoking and alcohol consumption were prohibited, and lateness was punishable by fines. On average, the daily wage ranged between 0.90-1.66 HUF. The daily wage of students ranged between 0.48-1 HUF. The normal working hours were ten hours a day, which lasted from six in the morning to half past five in the afternoon in the summer, with a one-and-a-half-hour break from noon, and from seven in the morning to half past five in the winter.
The company bought land at its own expense and built apartments for its employees in Óbuda, which were called “Hatház” (House of Six) due to their number, which was later expanded with four more houses. A school, a kindergarten and several shops were also built within the colony.
Keresés