Battle of Backbone Mountain

Rudi Čajavec (successively reincorporated under various names, including SOUR Rudi Čajavec) was a Yugoslav electromechanical and electronics company, based in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Founded in 1950, the company was named after Rudi Čajavec, the first airman of the Yugoslav Partisan air force and People's Hero of Yugoslavia.[1] It produced a wide range of products for the military and for the civilian market.

History

In 1950, during the first Yugoslav five-year plan, the government of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia decreed the founding of the Fabrika vojne elektronske opreme i uređaja "Rudi Čajavec" (transl. Factory of Military Electronic Equipment and Devices "Rudi Čajavec") in Banja Luka.[2][3] It was established in the same period as several other medium-to-large state enterprises in the city, which have remained in operation in the 21st century as joint-stock companies, namely: Krajina a.d (construction), Vitaminka a.d. (food), and Autoprevoz a.d. (transport).[3] It was the regional counterpart of other major Yugoslav technological companies of the period, such as Gorenje, Iskra, and Ei Niš.[4]

Originally registered with the Yugoslav People's Army, the factory was reassigned to civil authorities by the Ministry of Defence, and in 1956, the local government, in the form of the People's Committee of Banja Luka (NOO Banja Luka), renamed the enterprise to Fabrika za elektromehaniku i elektroniku "Rudi Čajavec" (transl. Electromechanics and electronics factory Rudi Čajavec).[5] In accordance with the principles of socialist self-management, the enterprise was subsequently reorganised as a self-managed holding entity, or SOUR (složena organizacija udruženog rada; transl. compound organisation of associated labour), comprising multiple OOURs (osnovna organizacija udruženog rada; transl. basic organisation of associated labour).

Čajavec grew rapidly in mid-1960s, when the number of employees was increased by 3,000. Yearly exports in this period were valued at around $30 million.[6] In 1991, the company had around 10,000 employees, including 2,000 engineers.[7][8] The need for more specialised staff influenced the establishment of The Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Banja Luka.[9] Yearly exports prior to the breakout of the war amounted to around $50 million.[10]

During the systemic reforms of the early 1990s, it remained a non-privatised social enterprise in the form of a holding corporation, and after subsequent reforms following the Yugoslav Wars, it was reverted to a fully state-owned matično državno preduzeće (transl. parent state enterprise), MDP "Čajavec holding".[11] In a controversial process, in 2006[6] the holding was effectively dismantled by transferring its property to 24 constituent companies—former OOURs—which were privatised, and many of them were subsequently liquidated.[12][6]

Products

M-84 tanks exported to Kuwait bore equipment produced by Čajavec

Čajavec initially produced electromechanical devices and aviation instruments, such as manometers, which were mainly supplied to the military.[13] This later expanded to various electronic devices for the military, including military communications systems and radars.[8][5] It contributed various parts and systems (such as the fire-control system[10][14]) in the manufacture of the M-84 tank.[15] Its other products included television sets (since 1957[16][17]), transistor radios (since 1961[18]), car equipment,[8] loudspeakers, PA systems, and guitar amplifiers.[7] Regional musicians used the latter as a substitute for Marshall amps, and other comparable Western products.[7][19]

See also

References

  1. ^ Tamara Bubnjević, Jelena Stojišić (2021-10-16). "Izložba "Preduzeće Rudi Čajavec" pobudila veliku pažnju: Oživljene uspomene na crno-bijelom ekranu" [The exhibition "Rudi Čajavec Company" attracted great attention: Revived memories on a black and white screen]. Glas Srpske (in Serbo-Croatian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  2. ^ Latinović, Đorđe (2021-07-05). "Male utopije" [Little utopias]. Nezavisne novine (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  3. ^ a b Đuran, Goran (2013-12-02). "Banjaluka za vrijeme socijalističke Jugoslavije" [Banja Luka during the socialist Yugoslavia]. Glas Srpske (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  4. ^ "Sjaj i bijeda nekadašnjeg "Rudi Čajevca" (Foto)". Banjaluka (in Bosnian). 2019-08-05. Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  5. ^ a b Josipović, Verica (2013-07-15). "Razvoj "Čajavca"". Glas Srpske (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  6. ^ a b c "Kako je propao "Rudi Čajavec": Od giganta elektronske industrije do sale za svadbe i sahrane" (in Serbian). 2022-12-03. Archived from the original on 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  7. ^ a b c ""Rudi Čajavec" - "Veliki brat" iz Banjaluke" ["Rudi Čajavec" - "Big Brother" from Banjaluka]. Mondo.ba. 2019-10-23. Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19. "Čajavec" je proizvodio i zvučnike, razglasne sisteme, kao i legendarna gitarska pojačala sa oznakom GA koja su svojevremeno dala svoj poseban "doprinos" banjalučkim muzičarima u nastajanju jer u to vrijeme nisu bili u mogućnosti da imaju popularni "Marshall" ili neki drugi poznati svjetski uređaj za svoje svirke. (transl. i – transl. "Čajavec" also produced loudspeakers, public address systems, as well as legendary guitar amplifiers with the GA mark, which at one time gave their special "contribution" to Banja Luka musicians in the making, because at that time they were not able to have the popular "Marshall" or any other world-famous device for their gigs.)
  8. ^ a b c Katana, Erduan (2014-03-06). "Privatizacijske pljačke u BiH - "Rudi Čajavec": Umjesto fabrike sala za svadbe i sahrane". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  9. ^ Božić-Gauk, Žana (2012-11-25). "Petar Marić: Fakulteti su nudili po tri inženjera za jednog našeg". Nezavisne novine (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  10. ^ a b Katana, Gordana (2023-01-30). "Holding "Rudi Čajavec": skica za portret ekonomskog I industrijskog razvoja i propasti privrede Bosne i Hercegovine" [Holding "Rudi Čajavec": sketch for a portrait of the economic and industrial development and collapse of the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina]. drustvenaistorijabl.info (Društvena Istorija Banjaluke) (in Serbo-Croatian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  11. ^ Pepić, Anđela (2021). "Društveni sukobi u sferi rada unutar transformacijskih procesa u Bosni i Hercegovini" [Social conflicts in labour relations within transformation processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina]. Sociološki godišnjak (16): 55–67. doi:10.5937/SocGod2116055P. ISSN 1840-1538. S2CID 254215638. Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  12. ^ Milunović, Milka (2008-10-15). "Zatraženo poništavanje prodaje Čajavec holdinga" [Annulment of the sale of Čajavec holding requested]. Glas Srpske (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  13. ^ Josipović, Verica (2013-07-08). "Kako je počeo "Rudi Čajavec"". Glas Srpske (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  14. ^ Marković, M. (2020-05-06). "Hrvatski i srpski tenkovi M-84: Sve redom isto, razlike samo u nijansi" [Croatian and Serbian tanks M-84: All the same, differences only in shades]. Maxportal (in Serbo-Croatian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2023-07-23. Sustav Omega je montiran u vrijeme kada već nije postojala tvrtka „Rudi Čajavec-sistemi upravljanja". Nastao je kao jeftinija verzija od „Čajavečkih" sustava i tako ih je napravila „Iskra", firma koja je kasnije preimenovana u „Fotonu" koja također više ne djeluje. (transl. The Omega system was installed at a time when the company "Rudi Čajavec - fire control systems" was already no more. It was created as a cheaper version of the "Čajavec" systems and was made by "Iskra", a company that was later renamed to "Fotona", which is also no longer active.)
  15. ^ Petrović, Dragoljub (2011-05-10). "Vraćanje tenkovskog duga Kuvajtu". Danas (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-07-19. Ivanović je tokom akcije „Pustinjska oluja" održavao kuvajtske tenkove M84, kupljene od SFRJ. Bio je zaposlen u banjalučkoj firmi „Rudi Čajavec" i 20 godina radio na tenkovima. „Čajavec" je nekada pravio 36 posto tenka. „Dakle, svu elektroniku unutra, stabilizaciju, navođenje topa, hrpu opreme unutra… Radio sam u tehnologiji, kontroli, proizvodnji, razvoju, bio šef servisa…", kaže Ivanović. (transl. i – transl. During the "Desert Storm" operation, Ivanović maintained the Kuwaiti M84 tanks, purchased from the SFRY. He was employed at the Banja Luka company "Rudi Čajavec" and worked on tanks for 20 years. "Čajavec" used to make 36 per cent of the tank. "So, all the electronics inside, stabilisation, gun guidance, a bunch of equipment inside... I worked in technology, control, production, development, I was the head of service..." Ivanović says.)
  16. ^ "Televizor Rudi Čajavec". Muzej Velenje (in Slovenian). 2020-04-24. Archived from the original on 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  17. ^ Kusmuk, Mirjana (2013-12-28). "(Ne)primjereno poređenje". Glas Srpske (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-08-16. Retrieved 2023-08-16. Danas, dok u sremskoj ravnici niče Silicijumska dolina, u Banjaluci, u kojoj je 1957. godine napravljen prvi televizor u fabrici "Rudi Čajavec", izvjesno je da se nikada više neće dogoditi ništa slično. (transl. Today, while a Silicon Valley is sprouting up in the Syrmian flatland, in Banja Luka, where the first TV set was produced in 1957 at the "Rudi Čajavec" factory, it is certain that nothing similar will ever happen again.)
  18. ^ "Untitled Facebook post by MuzejJugoslavijeBeograd". Facebook (Museum of Yugoslavia official profile) (in Serbo-Croatian). 30 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2023-07-23. Da li ste znali da je tranzistor "Slavuj" proizveden 1961. u fabrici "Rudi Čajavec" iz Banjaluke bio prvi tranzistor napravljen u Jugoslaviji? (transl. Did you know that the "Slavuj" transistor produced in 1961 in the "Rudi Čajavec" factory from Banjaluka was the first transistor made in Yugoslavia?)
  19. ^ Vidović, Mišo (2014-03-12). "Banjalučka razglednica - "Čajo"". www.frontal.ba (in Serbo-Croatian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2023-07-23.

External links