Novica

Plasterer

Hello Novica.

Hi Steve.

Thank you for taking the time today to tell your story.

You're welcome.

What I would like is for us to start at the beginning. Childhood. Where do you come from?

So I am from the East, I am from Serbia. I arrived in France in 1974. I was 9 years old.

And at the beginning, when you arrived in France at the age of 9, did you study?

Yes, I went to school... well like all children. Then I did a CAP in general mechanical turning, which I passed. I didn't work much as a tour operator. I found an aeronautical company where they made airplane parts, microfusion is called. It was a subsidiary of Snecma. I was a dimensional controller.

Where was it based?

In Gennevilliers. Then this company moved to Le Creusot. And I couldn't keep up... I fell unemployed.

And after unemployment?

After unemployment I went back to construction. I tried to maneuver a little bit, I made a false ceiling.

At what age?

I was 26 or 27.

So do we start as a maneuver at the beginning?

Maneuver, false ceiling fitter. I learned the job of drywall and since then I have been working as a drywall artist.

And at the beginning it was permanent, was it temporary work?

At the beginning it was mostly temporary work.

So have you been doing this for almost 30 years?

Somewhere 32 or 33 years old, exactly. I have done several companies on a fixed-term contract, on a permanent contract. The last company was on a fixed-term contract but unfortunately we had a conflict with the boss... I fell into France Travail.

And what is the job of drywall maker?

Well it's a very difficult job. I am 59 years old and I have pain all over. You have to lift the plates, it's physical, it's very difficult. For young people no, but for people my age, it's difficult.

And what type of site do you work on? Housing? From the office?

On major corporate sites, office buildings.

What technique should you have when you are a drywall artist?

Manage, have precision, be meticulous, have strength too, resistance... and then know-how. There is the laser, you have to know the measurements, especially to read the plans. Don't make a mistake.

Do you remember a construction site where you said to yourself “will I really succeed”?

The last was a construction site in Clamart that we did. And then I asked myself questions “can I hold on” because it was really very difficult. There was a tempo to follow, deadlines to respect.

Hold on physically?

Yes. Because you still have a lot of ceilings, so you have your hands up all the time. That's why the shoulders get hit.

We tried to accompany the temporary workers with an exoskeleton... would you be interested?

I had an echo, I looked at the prices, I would be interested in really trying that out. As far as my back is concerned, it's fine, but it's my knees that hurt a lot and my shoulders that hurt a lot.

We strive to find solutions for you because these are painful jobs where you lose life points. And now you are on a mission?

No unfortunately, I am at France Travail, I am looking. But apparently there is not much in the field of drywall. I was on a mission in July at Asap and so far there is nothing.

What was the construction site?

It was a one-week construction site in Paris near the Mommart Tower.

Do you want to continue working as a drywall specialist?

I want to continue but I don't know if I will make it to 67. Now I am 59 years old. I have to go up to 67 to have a full retirement. It's a good thing I'm still healthy, but there are times when I have to take a pill to be able to work.

Aren't there times when you say to yourself I'm leaving the construction industry?

Of course there are days... because there are days when you can't. There I dropped out unfortunately because I had family problems. It's not easy to wake up and go on trips of 1.5 or 2 hours sometimes to get to work, to go home with all the traffic jam.

What we can therefore wish you is work and support you in your daily life.

Thank you very much.