Featured Projects
19/04/2006 - civil engineering labourer rewarded for long service
A civil engineering labourer's loyalty was recognised yesterday when he was presented with a long-service award.
Graham Ratcliffe was 20 years old when he went with a friend for a job at Derby-based civil engineering firm Tomlinsons. That was in July 1963, and he has done the same job virtually every day since.
He was one of 10 workers commended yesterday for 25 years or more service at GF Tomlinson, of City Road, Chester Green, Derby.
Between them, they had 283 years with the company. But, at nearly 43 years, Mr Ratcliffe said he saw most of them as relative newcomers to the firm.
He said: "I started from school working on a farm at Breadsall and I was there for a couple of years.
"But then my dad, who was a coalman, got into a bit of bother with lorries that needed emptying so I took a week's holiday and went and helped him.
"I stopped with him for two years before a mate asked me if I fancied going to Tomlinson's for a job.
"You could swap jobs as you liked back then.
"I started laying water and sewage mains and also laid a lot of gas mains.
"But the thing that's interesting about it is that you get to work in many different places, moving about on jobs."
Mr Ratcliffe (63), who lives in Main Street, Horsley Woodhouse, rose to foreman for a while but stepped down when jobs demanded written qualifications.
He said: "I'm more one for using my hands than for writing things down."
He said he had always felt valued in his engineering work even when having heated debates with company chairman Barry Sewards.
Mr Ratcliffe said: "I've known Barry for years and we've not always seen eye to eye, but I've always enjoyed myself and I think I'll stop here now until I retire in a couple of years."
Mr Sewards, who presented the awards to his workers, said: "This is a family business that's still run as a family business.
"Our staff are our most important asset and we make sure they're involved in the business, that they feel important, because they're important to us."
In the past year he has presented long-service awards to 19 workers in the building and civil engineering arms of the construction group.
The £80m turnover company has premises in Birmingham and Worcester, but is Derby-based.
It employs about 650 people, of whom about 350 are located in Derby.
Mr Ratcliffe, who received an engraved silver decanter tray, said the biggest change over the years was the introduction of mechanisation.
He said: "Back when I started most of the work was done by hand, but now it's the machines that do the graft - not that I'm complaining about that."
Please contact us for a copy of our news stories.
