Staff with 8,336 years collective service are honoured at City Building’s inaugural long service awards
When Jim McLaughlin started work as a ‘runner’ at Glasgow City Council in 1967 The Beatles were in the album charts with Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club and Harold Wilson was Prime Minister.
That was 47 years ago. Jim from Royston in Glasgow is being honoured by City Building as the company’s longest serving employee. Jim was joined on the day by 250 of his colleagues including painter Robert Fisher from Easterhouse who has not had a single sick day throughout his 45 years’ working for the company.
This marks the first long service awards held by the leading Scottish construction company to recognise 250 of its employees with over 35 years’ service. The awards, which took place at the City Chambers in Glasgow, were an opportunity to recognise the company’s dedicated staff, some of whom have spent their entire careers contributing to its stellar reputation for quality and customer service.
Jim began working for the Direct Works Department of Glasgow City Council, which became City Building in 2007 at the age of 15. His first job was supporting the construction team before undertaking his plumbing apprenticeship the following year €“ decades later he is still a valuable member of the team.
Jim said: “I started off as a ‘runner’ in a small yard in Bardowie Street helping out where I was needed. It’s funny to think that 47 years’ later I’m working on that street again to deliver an elderly care home in the area.
“Over the years I have come across so many characters whilst out and about on jobs with City Building – every door was an adventure.”
Throughout his many years of dedicated service to the company Jim has worked on some of the most iconic buildings in the city including the Mitchell Library, Gallery of Modern Art and the City Chambers where he received his award. Jim is also part of the team that will provide maintenance in many of the arenas and buildings owned by Glasgow Life during the Commonwealth Games.
As a celebration of his 47 years, Jim and his wife Louise have been invited to attend Her Majesty the Queen’s Garden Party in Edinburgh later this year.
Councillor Paul Carey, Chair at City Building, said: “City Building’s good reputation for quality work on projects throughout Glasgow is thanks to the hard work of its staff.
“They are our ambassadors and that is why we wanted to reward the 250 employees who have worked with us for over 35 years – our success is in large part down to their high work standards and professionalism.”
City Building hopes to hold more awards like this in future to recognise the hard work and dedication displayed by its 2,200 skilled employees.
