No matter where Salini Impregilo’s workers find themselves in the more than 50 constructions sites around the globe, the spirit of the holiday season is upon them. Whether it be at the locks of Panama’s new canal, inside a tunnel of a planned metro line in Copenhagen or near the commuter rail being built in Sydney, they are preparing for Christmas and the holiday season. They are decorating offices, exchanging gifts and organizing parties to greet one another before returning to their families, many of them in countries far away from these construction sites. For those who must forgo returning home to work throughout the holiday season, there will be the chance to share a meal with co-workers or neighbours. Christmas might be a Christian celebration, but it is also an occasion for many workers to invite those of a different religion or culture to share a moment together for the holiday season. It is an act of respect and affection towards those with whom they work to achieve a shared goal of improving the life of a community. It is an expression of the bonds that are created after spending years in the field together.
In this special issue We Build Value publishes seven stories from seven construction sites about how Christmas and this holiday period are being celebrated by the men and women of Salini Impregilo, confirming a value that is cherished by Italy’s leading infrastructure group – that of respect for diversity. The sites are indicative of the expertise that Salini Impregilo brings to such complex projects. It is an expertise that is an expression of the strength that the group draws from being a multinational with 35,000 employees from around 90 nationalities. The sites include the new Panama Canal, the Gibe III dam in the heart of Ethiopia, the Cityringen metro line in Copenhagen, the Ulu Jelai dam in Malaysia, the storm sewer system in Washington, D.C., a metro line in Riyadh and a railway line in Sydney.
