A key focus of Van der Vlist is continuity. Not just of business operations, but with an emphasis on relationships. In this column, a number of people in the organisation who have been in service for more than 30 years will speak out, demonstrating exceptionally long-lasting relationships. Today, Ali (66 years old, 33 years of service) will tell us more about how he came to be associated with Van der Vlist, why he has worked in the organisation for so long, and how he has seen the organisation develop over the years.
I started working at the age of 15. When I was about 27, I joined what was then Van Namen Transport. Here I worked as an assistant mechanic and later as a mechanic. After two or three years, when Van Namen was taken over by Van der Vlist, I joined Van der Vlist. I then moved to the Moerdijk site. Here I worked with Silvia for a while (see: Column: 30+ years of continuity in labour relations - Silvia).
In Moerdijk, I was hired for a project called PER+ for about 2.5 years. During this period, I was involved in building up the warehouse and unloading material. After this, I worked on the quay in Moerdijk.
Later, I started working in Groot-Ammers as a mechanic. At one point, Dirk van der Vlist came to me and said: ‘I have a nice job for you’. It turned out to be a nice job indeed, building machines in the workshop. Alongside this, I also did some unloading and loading activities. It was a period of lots of modification tasks, for instance on excavators. Then we got a customer, Samsung, for whom we also had to paint the machines. This started very simply by sanding and brush painting. But this was never really smooth, so we started spraying everything with spray cans, which was a lot nicer. Still, it wasn't as sleek as spraying in a paint shop. So then I went to the paint shop and started painting the machines in the paint shop. For this, I also passed a course in Nieuwegein and that's how I continued to work as a painter.
However, I did remain a kind of ‘flying keeper’. If they needed someone in Moerdijk, I would go there. Tracks used to be changed by hand, for instance, so in busy periods I jumped in. I travelled back and forth between Groot-Ammers and Moerdijk a lot. At a certain point, the technical manual work became a bit too heavy for me, and I preferred to keep working in one place, so then I stayed in Groot-Ammers as a sprayer.
Of course, things do change over the years, including people coming and going. For example, there are now many hired workers who come to the Netherlands to work, but don't know the Dutch language. When I came to the Netherlands I learned the Dutch language, and English I do not speak as much. This sometimes makes communication difficult, but fortunately you often work it out together.
The company has also grown a lot over the years. I remember when we all used to know each other and sometimes worked together in the workshop until 3 a.m. I liked that. Now there is a much bigger team, working regular hours. People don't always like working on Saturdays, especially when it's nice weather, but I simply come to work anyway.
It is important never to go to work reluctantly. I never had to do this and I still enjoy working at the company. Respecting and appreciating each other is very important on the job. When you start working in a new place, you don't know what kind of people you will meet or what kind of culture you will end up in, but at some point you create a bond. I'm comfortable here, just doing my job. I know the company well, and if there is anything on your mind, you can just say so.
My advice to the next generation of working people is this: stay who you are and listen to yourself. Always have a look at new things, try them, and then listen to what your heart says.
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