Interview 1

Interviewee talks about her family and life in her hometown and discusses her educational background. She describes how students signed contracts to work at VMZ post-graduation, the employment requirements at that time, and the high availability of work. She also describes the difference between “special” production and consumer production. She talks about the history of VMZ, participating in marches on special holidays, and the organizational structure of VMZ. She also describes the social amenities used by workers, including on-site cafeterias and vacations stations at the beach and in the mountains, and comments on the social life at VMZ and the close relationship between coworkers. She recalls the incident of the explosion of one of the sectors, her layoff from VMZ after becoming sick , and relates it the bigger change in the relation between VMZ and its workers. She concludes by commenting on the democratic transition, its effects on people’s lives and attitudes in Bulgaria, and her thoughts about the future of VMZ.