I finally got around to it and wrote a post about how I worked at the factory.
Note: since my former colleagues definitely would not want to publish their photographs on the Internet, I replaced all the faces with a portrait of Franz Kafka (which at the same time symbolizes all the hopelessness of the plant).
My first serious place of work (before that there were, in fact, excursions to work) was a plant called JV Frebor. I dedicated two and a half years of my life to him. And it was thanks to him that I realized that the head should be used not only for wearing a hat. It's been a couple of years since I've worked at Frebor, but this... This is probably his way of asking me to write a short article about him. Well, the plant, I persuaded, I’m writing.
Elegant New Year's plant. Our locker room was located in the central “turret” (where the green pyramid is). And the workshop itself is located about half a kilometer from the locker room.
So, JV "Frebor"(full name “Fresenius Dialyzotechnik Borisov”) is a joint Belarusian-German enterprise for the production of medical equipment: droppers, catheters, dialyzers and other things. In the early nineties, cunning Germans came to the conclusion that it was very profitable to open their own factory in some poor Eastern European country: labor there is cheap and environmental standards are not so strict. Belarus was chosen as such a country. Frebor located its workshops on the territory of another medical enterprise - the Borisov Medical Preparations Plant.
They are operators of chemical fiber molding. What have you achieved?
The workshop where I got a job in August 2009 produced polysulfone fiber. This fiber was inserted into dialyzers, which are necessary for blood purification (those interested can Google the phrase “blood dialysis”). As far as I know, such production is the only one in Belarus. Chemical fiber molding operators work “on the fibers”: four teams of 12-14 people each. They work in three shifts on a rotating schedule (four day, evening and night shifts). To receive the honorary title of apparatchik, you must first work as an apprentice for four months. And there was a lot to learn there. So, I will try to tell everything in order.
There is a spinning line (we had two of them, but this is not so important) - a bulky metal unit about fifty meters long and about three meters high. At the beginning of the line there are special blocks to which a pre-prepared solution of polysulfone and solvent is supplied under pressure. Many thin threads emerge from the blocks, which fall into a precipitation bath of hot water. The threads harden and then end up in wash baths where (as the name suggests) they are washed. After washing, the threads end up in drying chambers (I think you can guess what happens there). After this stage, the threads already become full-fledged polysulfone fiber. And this is where the apparatchiks come into play.
To make it clearer to you what the apparatchiks do, I recommend watching this video (filmed on , with me in the center of the frame).
If after watching everything is still not clear (or you have limited traffic and therefore video is an unaffordable luxury), then I will briefly tell you the principle of operation. The fiber that is wound onto the drums comes directly from the last drying chamber. When the drum has completed the required number of revolutions, it should be replaced with an empty one. The drum with fiber is transferred to the table where the bundle is formed. Each drum segment is braided with a special film and tape, and then the bundles are cut off one by one.
The bundles end up on a conveyor that leads to the packaging area. All team members took turns becoming packers. The packer's task is to visually check the quality of the bundle and put it in a box. After filling, the box was sealed and sent on a journey to other countries (or to the second floor, where dialyzers were collected for use in the Republic of Belarus).
So, why do you need to study for four months to become a chemical fiber spinning operator?
1) You need to learn how to sculpt normal buns: no folds, accordion tape, unevenness, etc. From the outside it seems that doing this is quite simple. However, when you stand behind the drum, tear off a piece of tape and take the film in your hand, you feel like a paralytic who is trying to restore the motor skills of his hands. At first it seems that you will never be able to even just “sculpt buns”. Not to mention doing it as fast as your colleagues. (For reference, a full drum of bundles needs to be molded and cut in about a minute to a minute and a half in order to have time to remove another, already wound drum).
2) You also need to learn how to cut bunches, but in comparison with modeling this is mere nonsense.
3) Learn to place the drum on the winding device. In principle, in comparison with the next point, this is not so difficult:
- You place the drum on the winding device;
- You take out the “tail” of the fiber from the injector, insert it into the spoke of the drum and tie it around a special fastener.
4) Learn to remove the drum. This was very difficult for me. In order to remove the drum, it was necessary:
- Take the scissors with a grip like the one in the photo;
- Turn on the injector where the fiber tail is inserted;
- With your left hand, lift the fiber, grab it with your right hand so that it passes through the blades of the scissors and the index and middle fingers.
- Quickly make a fist to cut the fiber. In this case, one end of the fiber should be clamped in the right hand, the other should be inserted into the injector.
- Wave your foot near the photocell on the floor to turn off the magnetic drum lock;
- Remove the drum and take it to the table.
All these operations had to be performed quickly and accurately. And picking up and setting up the drum - Very quickly and Very carefully. Indeed, in case of an error, the fiber will begin to get tangled and wound around numerous shafts and combs. The peculiarity of the production of polysulfone fiber is such that it is impossible to say “pot, don’t cook” (the fiber flows continuously, 24 hours a day). It is impossible to stop the line for five minutes, unravel the knot on one shaft and start the line again. Therefore, all corrections were carried out “live”, that is, during the fiber generation process. In case of any tangles, it was necessary to break the fiber to the place of the “jamb” so that one person could manually pull it (“pull the gut”), while the rest at that time tore off the threads wound on the shafts in order to restore the functionality of the spinning line.
The operator is “pulling his guts” in the workshop. The final stage of filling the line.
It was especially cool when a break occurred in one of the drying chambers. The operating temperature there is about 100-130 degrees. When opening the camera, it fell somewhat, but it was still not very pleasant. And you had to climb into this chamber to untangle the fiber. There was a great risk of getting burned if you carelessly touched your shoulder to some hot metal part inside the chamber.
Once a year, the spinning lines were stopped for a couple of days for extensive preventive maintenance. Several times a year - for minor repairs. Crashes also occurred regularly. In all these cases it was necessary fill the line to resume production.
I took a photo in the craftsmen’s room against the backdrop of screens with statistics on the operation of the spinning lines.
Operators are cleaning the rinsing bath before filling the line.
If I'm not mistaken, usually filling the line took about eight hours, that is, a standard shift. This process required great skill and dexterity. The line was refueled by the most experienced apparatchiks (“fathers,” as they called themselves, or “old umbrellas,” as we, the younger apparatchiks, called them). I will not describe in detail the process of filling the line I don’t really remember him anymore. I'll just make an analogy. Imagine that you have a bundle of many threads that unwinds from a reel at a fairly high speed without stopping. You need to pass these threads through several hundred shafts and combs, and the threads must not get tangled on any of them. Hellishly monotonous, tedious and very responsible work - just one careless movement could ruin the work of one or two hours.
To diversify the hard factory life, we listened in the workshop.
As I said, fiber production is non-stop. Therefore, to ensure the operability of the line, four teams were formed, which went to work in shifts, according to a staggered schedule: three teams divided the day into three eight-hour shifts, and the fourth rested during this time. Consequently, the days off for the apparatchiks were not Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, but their own days off, which were determined by the schedule. That’s why I celebrated the New Years of 2011 and 2012 literally at work. But it is precisely for all these difficult and uncomfortable conditions that I am grateful to the plant. If it had been much easier to work there, I would not have had the courage to leave there, but would have stayed there, drinking regularly and hating myself.
Lay down to take a nap.
It seems that he briefly described all aspects of the work. If someone is interested in something or doesn’t understand it, ask in the comments. If necessary, I will supplement this material with missing information.
And finally, a small meditation cube
Managers are traditionally considered to be the leaders in terms of salary in Russia. According to the recruiting portal Superjob, offers for top managers - directors of organizations and heads of main business areas - start from 220-250 thousand rubles.
The upper limit is usually hidden behind the wording “by agreement.” This means that the salary depends on the qualifications of the applicant and will be supplemented by a bonus system for achieving certain results.
In some positions, managers' earnings are close to a million rubles.
In second place are highly qualified specialists in the IT field. Recruiters claim that this direction is more promising. A mobile application development specialist who has proven experience can, after only 3–4 years of work in the industry, qualify for a salary that a manager can reach in 10–12 years.
Also among the highest paid specialists are airline employees. Managers (for example, technical director) are offered from 300 thousand rubles, the pilot of an aircraft - from 350 to 470 thousand rubles or more, the head of the flight attendant service - from 150 thousand rubles. In addition, airlines typically pay employees annual bonuses based on performance.
Aeroflot recently introduced one-time payments for the employment of flight personnel: the aircraft commander receives 650 thousand rubles, the second pilot - 350 thousand rubles.
The highest paying vacancies of July in Moscow
- Marketing director / head of marketing department in a pharmaceutical company - up to 300,000 rubles.
- Financial director of a group of companies - from 260,000 to 300,000 rubles.
- Director of Accounting, Reporting and Tax Planning - up to 230,000 rubles.
- Head of the procurement department - from 200,000 to 350,000 rubles.
- Director of External Logistics - from 200,000 to 300,000 rubles.
- Lead Python / TeamLead developer - from 140,000 rubles.
Top 10 industries with the highest average earnings according to Rosstat
- Financial and insurance - 68,593 rubles (the average salary of the highest paid workers in the industry is 253,668 rubles).
- Mining - 66,973 rubles (197,326 rubles).
- Fishing and fish farming - 64,425 rubles (266,058 rubles).
- Activities in the field of information and communications - 57,601 rubles (207,307 rubles).
- Scientific research and development - 57,516 rubles (176,438 rubles).
- Professional scientific and technical activities - 56,250 rubles (199,302 rubles).
- Production of coke and petroleum products; chemicals and chemical products; medicines and materials used for medical purposes - 53,341 rubles (183,803 rubles).
- Repair and installation of machinery and equipment - 47,354 rubles (132,395 rubles).
- Construction - 45,941 rubles (139,270 rubles).
- Metallurgical production of finished metal products, except machinery and equipment - 44,162 rubles (116,307 rubles).
Who has the best prospects?
Good salaries can be earned by specialists who are not specialized (like pilots, for example) or who are not the most experienced (like managers with extensive experience).
Superjob analyzed employer proposals for employees with at least average qualifications and one to three years of work experience.
Here's what the top 10 professions with the fastest growing salaries look like.
- Oracle Developer.
Annual salary increase: 21%.
Average earnings: 100,000–120,000 rubles. - Foreign exchange specialist.
Annual salary increase: 20%.
Average earnings: 55,000–70,000 rubles. - Chief designer.
Annual salary increase: 19%. - Head of Software Testing Department.
Average earnings: 120,000–165,000 rubles. - Lawyer in international law.
Annual salary increase: 18%.
Average earnings: 80,000–120,000 rubles. - Head of Internet projects.
Annual salary increase: 17%.
Average earnings: 100,000–150,000 rubles. - Java programmer.
Annual salary increase: 14%.
Average earnings: 100,000–130,000 rubles. - Tax lawyer.
Annual salary increase: 13%.
Average earnings: 70,000–110,000 rubles. - PHP programmer.
Annual salary increase: 12%.
Average earnings: 90,000–120,000 rubles. - Systems Analyst.
Annual salary increase: 11%.
Average earnings: 90,000–140,000 rubles.
As for the prospects, the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation found that the most in-demand employees today are qualified workers in metalworking and engineering production, high-level specialists from the fields of science, culture, construction, transport (in particular, pilots) and lawyers.
Sociologist Alexey Roshchin believes that today there is no point for businessmen to invest in industry; Enterprises inherited from the USSR are living out their days.
The work of an industrial sociologist-researcher can be somewhat similar to a detective story. So I studied at the request of the Moscow owners of their metal products plant in the Russian outback. Its leadership complained, as often happens in our province, about the problem of personnel, primarily young personnel. They say that the work experience of most turners and machine operators at this plant is several decades, many are long overdue for retirement, but it is not possible to recruit a young shift.
Young people, of course, come to the plant, many even with some experience, with diplomas from vocational schools, get hired as apprentices, and are soon entrusted with independent work - and practically no one stays, at best, longer than a couple of months. They grind out the details for a while, spin around, and then quit. Moreover, there is no reason to regret their departure either, since they almost always work poorly, they either do not fulfill the plan at all, or barely fulfill it, they allow a lot of defects, excessive consumption of metal... The administration itself has to part with some, despite the shortage of workers.
It would seem that the situation is quite clear and familiar. Complaints about “modern youth” are now heard everywhere in “industrial Russia”. They also remember the general decline in the level of education in the country, and, of course, the complete collapse of the sphere of vocational education and the decline in the prestige of all working professions. The moral and ethical character of today's young people also suffers: their current elderly masters and workers are often accused of being greedy, incapable and unwilling to endure and work hard; They say the same thing about young people in all corners of the country - they are, they say, spoiled, they think only about earnings, they are cynical, they don’t care about workers’ honor.
It was quite possible to expect that exactly the same reasons would be given at the hardware plant I examined. Actually, I didn’t expect anything else - in advance, when I finally decided to talk to the regular elderly workers, I was prepared to hear another set of philippics about “there were people in our time, not like the current tribe.”
However, older machine operators, as it turned out, were in no hurry to blame the “rotten youth of today” for all mortal sins and reluctance to work. On the contrary: the regular workers (whom, as usual, no one asked about the situation - the plant management trusted reports and figures more) were quite friendly towards their students. And they were recognized - at least the best of them - for good work acumen, ability to work with metal, and excellent hard work.
But why then was almost none of the young people able to gain a foothold at the plant? Why have their work performance been so dismal over the years? All the old turners were well aware of the reasons - moreover, they constantly talked about them to management. But there they preferred to ignore their arguments.
Machines vs people
But it was about the machines. All (!) machines at this rather large plant, located in a large regional center, were manufactured in the 1950s, or at best, the 1960s. They have long since exhausted their service life, having worked out two, and some even three (!) service life. According to the old workers, not only a young, but also a completely experienced, qualified machine operator would hardly be able to “give a plan” on such a machine. The “old men” were generally confident that any expert from any Machine Tool Research Institute would not hesitate to admit that such a machine was simply unsuitable for the manufacture of any parts with the required level of accuracy and was only suitable for immediate scrapping.
But did old people operate such machines? They were helped by their vast experience of working with this particular technique. They simply “felt” them, having worked on each of them for decades. Willy-nilly they acquired virtuosity. As one old turner said, his machine lost adjustment and balancing almost in the first 5 minutes after turning it on. However, the old man managed to “adjust” it right in the process of work, without stopping processing the workpieces.
Simply put, working on the machines installed at that plant was one continuous, continuous circus, a circus performance. It is not surprising that the young were incapable of such a circus. It was not possible to master such ancient equipment in a month, or two, or a year. And in the process of development, one would also have to live practically from hand to mouth - since a worker who did not fulfill the plan could count on a salary of 5-7 thousand rubles at that plant.
I finally asked the workers - why did they tell me all this? Isn't it beneficial for them to try to leave everything as it is? After all, it turns out that they are the only ones who are still able to squeeze something out of the plant’s equipment; they are practically monopolists. The old workers did not agree with me: “What is the benefit?!” - they shouted. - Yes, if you only knew how tired we are of working on this junk!! How I would like to work at least one last time on a normal, good machine that doesn’t fall apart while moving!”
After graduating from a higher educational institution, many specialists are faced with the question of finding a place to work. If your diploma allows you, you can get an assignment to a factory or plant. Young specialists are not too eager to go to work in production. There is an opinion that this is not very prestigious and far from highly paid.
Is it so? There is a certain amount of truth in this, but not everything is so categorical. There are many people who are successfully moving up the career ladder, have a stable income and social protection from the state.
Disadvantages of working in a factory
- Lack of planning
If he talks about the career of a novice employee, he will have to work a lot and not always according to the designated schedule. Constantly changing standards and documentation force you to spend all your free time if you want to show your best side. Working overtime is also not uncommon at the plant. Be prepared that if there is a major breakdown, you will have to go to your workplace in the middle of the night.
- Risk at work
Working in a factory is often accompanied by a certain risk to life and health, even if management puts labor safety first.
- Movement control
Many businesses install cameras to monitor employees. This causes some discomfort.
- Dress code
Office workers must adhere to a strict style, and workshop workers must wear special uniforms.
Benefits of working in production
- Relative stability
Regular salary and social guarantees are an important factor when choosing a place to work.
- Structuring the functions of each employee
At the enterprise, all employees perform their functions. You will know the scope of your work and strictly adhere to it.
- Social package
The social package, as a rule, includes a medical package, paid leave and sick leave, company transport, and possibly free food.
- Trade union
An excellent organization in the enterprise that protects employees and helps protect their rights if necessary. The union provides vouchers to sanatoriums and children's camps, and compensates for the costs of funerals of family members, weddings and the birth of a child.
- Factory clinics
If you have health problems, you can go to a free clinic from the plant, which it finances.
- Career prospects
There is an opportunity to prove yourself and achieve success in your career.
Personal Finance Magazine IQ Review continues the “Report” section, in which our correspondents share their own impressions of various work experiences. This time our correspondent Denis will tell you how he worked at the plant. This review will be especially interesting for residents of megalopolises and white-collar workers who have never seen the plant up close and have no idea what is going on behind the factory gates.
Factory pipe
I live in Eastern Ukraine. Until 2011, I could not even imagine that I would have to work at a factory. For some reason, a stereotype has developed (not just me) that a factory is not the best place, with a small salary and zero prospects. However, it so happened that I had the opportunity to work there for about 3 years - not too long, of course, but enough to completely change my mind.
I left the company in mid-2014, when the plant completely stopped due to (hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of gas per hour and a huge amount of electricity were needed for production). The enterprise is still standing, which is why about half of the workers have already left (about 4-5 thousand out of 9-10 remain). The rest receive minimum salaries (1500-2000 UAH per month).
Where it all began for me
In 2010, I entered a local vocational school: I didn’t have to go there at all and still get a scholarship. It’s not that I didn’t have enough money - I went there, rather, for the company (two acquaintances did). Well, having an extra “crust” can come in handy.
Upon completion of their studies, the vocational school employs graduates at a local enterprise - a large chemical plant that employed about 10 thousand people (at that time). Of course, when I submitted my documents, I didn’t even think about it, and after receiving my diploma, I immediately threw it somewhere on the table.
However, literally a couple of days later, the curator called me and said that there were not enough people willing to find a job (it seems that the vocational school had a certain plan - to “supply” something), and suggested that I submit documents to the personnel department (on a voluntary basis, of course, by force no one drove anyone to the plant). I wasn’t officially employed at that time; most of my friends and acquaintances had left for work and study. I decided to find out more - after all, you can pick up the documents at any time if you wish.
First acquaintance with a chemical plant
The HR department pleasantly surprised me: I came there for the first time and expected to be greeted by a pre-war building with dimly lit rooms and bored retired grandmothers sitting in them. In fact, I saw a well-finished facade, spacious, bright corridors, new furniture and a huge number of people (most of them under 35-40 years old).
It was rather formal - the head of the OK asked about education (in addition to vocational school, at that time I was studying in absentia in the 3rd year of the Faculty of Information Technology), work experience. The whole conversation took literally a couple of minutes, after which he gave me a direction to one of the workshops (new arrivals were distributed to departments that needed new workers).
What is it like to work in a factory?
Factory work Briefly about the enterprise itself and the first visit to the workshop
As I already said, the plant where I worked is a large chemical enterprise, divided into workshops. Each of them produced different types of products: potassium and sodium nitrate, urea, vinyl acetate, ammonia. In addition to the production facilities, there were other departments located on the territory of the plant: 2 or 3 repair shops, an instrumentation service shop (which deals with the verification and repair of instrumentation equipment), a power supply shop (responsible for the maintenance and repair of electrical installations throughout the plant), several - 3 or 4 dining rooms. It also had its own hospital and fire department.
Previously, before “perestroika,” there were twice as many working workshops: glue, suitcases, polyethylene, and even rocket fuel were produced here. Now, by the way, these workshops are abandoned, some are dilapidated. Moreover, all this was in the middle of the plant: I had to walk to my department past several huge buildings with broken windows and grass growing on the roofs.
Abandoned factory The impressions are contradictory - on the one hand, all this looks depressing: huge production facilities that provided work to hundreds and thousands of people were simply abandoned (due to unprofitability). On the other hand, it all looked monumental and exciting - huge buildings in which compressors were located, creating pressure in pipeline lines connecting hundreds of tanks, tanks, boilers, columns. By the way, the first thing I remembered when passing by one of these workshops was the game “Stalker”: the landscape simply suited its plot perfectly.
My workshop, as mentioned above, produced vinyl acetate. To put it simply, it is a transparent liquid with a characteristic odor, which is used in the chemical industry to produce other substances. In particular, polyvinyl acetate and copolymers are obtained from it, which are used in the production of adhesives (including PVA), paints and varnishes, as well as for further processing.
After I got to the workshop itself - and it took about 15 minutes to walk from the checkpoint - I needed to see its boss. I had to wait for him - I came to the workshop early in the morning, a little after 8, and at this time all the management was always busy with something: distributing work for the day, receiving reports, signing documents, holding morning “five-minute meetings”.
How to get a job at a factory without work experience - interview
The boss turned out to be a man of about 40-45 years old, who, by the way, wore ordinary overalls and a helmet (I thought I would see him in a jacket and shoes). First, I found out about my education and experience, then I started asking about what I actually knew about chemistry. Fortunately, I had prepared the day before: I spent about half an hour trying to remember the most basic knowledge on the subject (on the advice of an acquaintance who also works at this plant). As it turned out, it was not in vain. The boss didn’t ask anything particularly complicated - he asked some question about pressure, what air consists of and about the aggregate states of substances. I couldn’t answer the first question clearly, but I answered the next questions more or less clearly. By the way, as it turned out later, these questions didn’t mean anything: the boss just wanted to find out how well the person sitting in front of him understood the subject. But even if I had not answered a single question, nothing would have changed - some workers have a minimum set of knowledge in chemistry, even with many years of work experience. Of course, development is encouraged, but not in a forced form.
Hiring process
After this conversation, I was sent for a medical examination - to the factory hospital. By the way, it was carried out quite seriously, especially by an ENT specialist and an ophthalmologist - people with vision or hearing problems are not accepted for such work (what if I can’t see the number on the monitor or the liquid dripping from a crack in the pipe?).
The next day after the medical examination, I was sent to the caretaker. From her I received a uniform - 2 summer sets of overalls (pants and a jacket, quite durable), 1 winter set (sweatshirt and pants), boots. They also provided protective equipment: a helmet, goggles, 3 pairs of gloves (cloth mittens, regular gloves and acid-proof ones, earplugs, a dozen disposable “petal” respirators, and a gas mask with a bag.
Rubber gas mask Internship at a factory
After that, I spent about 3 months on an internship: I had to thoroughly learn the assigned stage, the norms of the technological regime, the control of the station, the procedure for action in case of emergencies, the principles of operation of the equipment and its start-up and stop...
At first it seemed to me that I couldn’t cope - there was too much to master, and absolutely all of it was unfamiliar to me. But in the end, everything worked out, however, I had to study quite hard, and I repeated the norms of the technological regime even at home - in order to remember all the numbers and limits. At the end of the internship, he passed the “exam” to the commission, which included the head of the workshop himself and his deputies (there were 5 people in total).
Apparatchik position
Factory worker in hard hat What does an operator do?
The task of the machine operators is to control the technological regime. I sat at a special control station, on the monitor of which data about the ongoing process was displayed: temperature, pressure, flow. Together with me, 6 other people were doing the same thing: each of them controlled a certain stage. The technological process is quite complex, and it is simply unrealistic to keep track of every indicator alone.
Any deviation - even a couple of degrees of temperature - could lead to further changes in the technological process, which was unacceptable. If the parameters changed to unacceptable levels, we (the operator) had to take action: adjust the flow of the medium, increasing or decreasing its flow rate. This was done either from the control panel or on site - using fittings that were located on the pipelines.
What equipment do you have to work with?
The monitors and remote controls are not new, but not too old either - the equipment was installed in the first half of the 2000s. The screens showed groups of valves with readings from their sensors, as well as graphs by which the operator tracked changes in parameters. The remote control had a set of buttons (both with letters and numbers): with their help it was possible to switch between groups of valves (of which there were about a dozen at each stage), graphs and control them, closing or opening the valves remotely.
All this was located in a separate spacious room - CPU (central control point). Here we received data from hundreds of sensors that were located on every pipeline, every device. The consoles were located in a semicircle - it turned out that the entire shift there were six of us sitting next to each other. In addition responsibilities included the following tasks:
- a round that was performed at least 2 times per shift (before reception and before handing over the shift);
- control over the condition of equipment on site (no leaks, integrity of thermal insulation, availability of fire extinguishing means, integrity of stairs and railings, etc.), which was carried out during walk-throughs;
- maintaining the assigned area - stage - clean and tidy;
- a message about noticed problems in the operation of equipment (leaks, absence of flywheels on valves, deviations in sensor readings, and so on);
- filling out a shift report indicating technological parameters at the specified hours (at 12 and 18 o'clock) and the actions performed (if any).
Work shift structure
In addition to the “ordinary” apparatchiks who constantly sat at the control stations, there were 1-2 more free people (also apparatchiks) who usually knew several stages at once. They replaced others when they needed to go out - to the toilet, to eat, to go outside (to go around) or just to get distracted - after all, it’s hard to sit in front of a monitor for hours. In addition to them, each shift also included a senior operator (who knew all stages of the process and had sufficient work experience) and a shift foreman, who sat at a separate station.
Thus, during the entire shift there were 9-10 of us at the CPU. Production is continuous, so we had day shifts (from 8 to 20) and night shifts (from 20 to 8) regardless of weekends and holidays.
In addition to the process personnel (operators), other people worked in each shift: on-duty mechanics (2-3 people), 1 on-duty electrician, 1 on-duty instrumentation mechanic and 1 laboratory assistant.
The technological regime at the plant is the basis for uninterrupted operation
Chemical factory If everything was in order according to the technological regime, we could be distracted (without leaving the station - no one forced us to sit for the entire shift, constantly looking at the monitor). Usually the work proceeded as follows: we “took over the baton” from the previous shift and spent the first half hour looking at graphs, studying current sensor readings, reading reports and a “five-minute meeting” during which we reported on the state of the stage to the foreman. If no work was planned, and everything was in order according to the schedule, we either communicated or stared at our smartphones. Closer to 10 and 2-3 o'clock (morning or night), people took turns going out to eat - for eating there was a separate room next to the central control room, which had a refrigerator, a water cooler and a microwave. Nearby is a bathroom.
They took turns going outside: at each stage there were certain processes that were controlled only on the spot. Yes, and regular rounds were also required - if you’re too lazy, you don’t go back again - and the shift worker already refuses to take a shift because of a leaking puddle of water or because of a frozen icicle on a pipe. So everyone went outside, about 2 times per shift.
Towards the end of the working day (or night) they filled out reports. About half an hour before the shift change, the apparatchiks from the next shift arrived. Having completed their rounds, they came to the central control center to study the report before accepting the shift, to find out what was being done at the stage, whether everything was in order, whether anything was violated or broken. Here you had to be extremely careful: if you forget to ask about some problem and accept a shift with a deviation, you will have to fix it yourself and be responsible for it.
By the way, about deviations: if the technological regime did not go as expected, it was necessary to eliminate the problem as quickly as possible. A temperature that increased above normal at one stage (even by 0.5 degrees) could “respond” with an increase in pressure at another, and so on - along the chain.
So the parameters were closely monitored. It usually looked like this: you place your smartphone near the monitor and watch a movie (or read a book), glancing at the sensor readings every couple of minutes.
Salary and career prospects of a factory worker
When I entered the internship, I received about 2800-3000 UAH per month (at the 2011 exchange rate - about 12 thousand rubles). After passing the production minimum, the amount increased to 4,500 UAH (18 thousand rubles). The figure could change - depending on the total number of shifts per month, on the number of night and weekend shifts and shifts that fell on holidays, on the number of stages that the operator knows. For participation in various competitions (both sports and scientific competitions and championships were regularly held at the enterprise), they could throw on about another 200-300 UAH, and in case of victory - 500-600.
Career growth at the plant
Senior apparatchiks and shift foremen received, of course, more - 7-8 and 9-10 thousand on average. to certain limits depended only on the person himself: it was possible to learn and pass one more stage, then another, and so on. If an apparatchik mastered 3 stages (including his own), he was entitled to an increase of another 1000 UAH - so many learned additional duties just for this. Well, in addition, those who knew several stages could become senior apparatchiks, and then masters. For this, however, one also needed real work experience in each workplace.
Impressions about the team
I repeat, in each shift (by the way, there were 4 shifts in total) there were 9-10 apparatchiks working, who were in the same room for 12 hours. They worked together, ate, swam, walked to the checkpoint and home. Here, like it or not, you have to get to know everyone, and get to know them very well. We communicated with the rest of the shift personnel - mechanics, an electrician, a maintenance worker and a laboratory assistant, but less often - they only came to the central control room for a short time.
Who works in factories today
On my shift there were 4 people under 25 years old, another 2 under 30, the rest were 35-40 years old. The most “adult” was 43 (as of 2011). In the remaining shifts, the ratio was approximately the same: half of the shift were young people who knew 1-2 jobs and had been working for 1-3 years, the rest were older people with real experience (after all, even 1 year of work does not allow one to thoroughly study at least one stage).
Since we all had to spend a lot of time in the same society, there were no special conflicts, at least openly. Yes, there were those who treated specific people too well, but this was not demonstrated in any way. Firstly, this spoiled the atmosphere in the team, which really interfered with work. Secondly, on night shifts, anywhere from 3 to 6 am, it is very difficult to be attentive and focused. If you communicate with others, fighting sleep is much easier than sitting with your nose to your smartphone. So everyone in the team tried their best to avoid any conflicts.
Factory "team building"
Various joint events were regularly held - we together (including the foreman and senior apparatchiks) celebrated birthdays and other holidays, went out into nature, played football, paintball. We usually gathered either in one of the not too expensive establishments, or went on a visit - one of us did not have a family, but had a fairly large house.
No one was embarrassed by the 10-20 year age difference. Of course, we, the youth, treated our elders with respect, called them by their first and patronymic names and observed certain limits of decency. There was even a kind of “hazing” - we were sent to clean the territory and make rounds. However, this was done not so much because we were younger, but because it was simply dangerous to leave less experienced workers at the CPU without supervision.
Several times conflicts occurred outside of work. Gatherings were usually accompanied by drinking alcoholic beverages, and in such situations people stopped paying attention to what they were saying. Almost every second event ended in a verbal altercation. In my memory (over 3 years of work) this came to blows twice.
The situation was approximately the same in other shifts. By the way, we also developed quite good relations with them: we had to communicate during shift changes, and many were friends with each other. Large gatherings were organized at least 3-4 times a year, which were attended by everyone who was not on shift at that time. The management also stepped up, and they also maintained friendly relations with the “working class.” Overall, we can say that our team was excellent, quite friendly and welcoming.