Dundee Michelin tyre factory closes with loss of 850 jobs

The guy from Scottish Enterprise tasked at helping out is called Steve Dunlop. How ironic.

 

* all to do with ability to make certain size tyres, ballymena is proof of that. They can do it cheaper else where, that’s the reason why it’s closing.

 

Oh well everyone else is lying, company/union/workers, but you have told us the truth now ..

 

So rather than get new tools, they'll shut down, pay off workers, buy a new factory in another country, buy those tools and start producing tyres? Seems logical. It'll most likely be the 10p a week wages that makes it worth it.

Oh but we're nice. Roughly a years notice so you can get another job... naw your hoping folk leave so you don't pay redundancy. * are at it.

 

And I give you that information for free. Next time I’m charging you.

 

It's more than just a few tools. It's the entire production line that needs replaced. It will cost a massive amount of money. They've already been given millions of pounds to help modernise the factory.

Nobody is disputing the demand for the products Dundee is making has dropped. Not that many modern cars have 16" tyres now. The cheaper end cars made to a budget will rarely come with premium tyres.

Tyres have got cheaper over the years. I'm sure a good proportion of this site uses one of the many cheap foreign tyre suppliers for discounted tyres? I'm sure even less people have bought Michelin tyres for their car.

If you don't buy local products this is what happens, but everyone wants cheap.

 

The PACE fares have started at Michelin and been hearing that the working group is actually really looking out for the guys.

Can’t speak for the whole workforce but they are being looked after pretty well with advice and opportunities in what is obviously a * situation.

They are all getting a fair whack extra in their pay every month until they finish, still getting their redundancy even if they find a new job, funding for re-training, funding for re-locating etc, seems to be a really supportive plan in place.

 

Capitalism.

Where the government uses the workers taxes to help out billion pound corporations with handouts and tax cuts and then sanctions someone’s benefits causing them to use a food bank because they didn’t spend 35hours that week looking for a job.

 

Correct. You have the banks being bailed out after the recession. The losses were socialised, now the profits are privatised.

Wee Agnes down the street getting a custodial sentence for claiming a few thousand extra on her housing benefit as opposed to traders all over the world rigging the LIBOR for their own benefit, affecting billions of people and only a handful of them held accountable.

 

I don’t know the facts completely or the ins and outs of how the help is being put in place.

I take your point mate but I’m looking at the positive part of hundreds of workers not just being tossed out into the shitstorm world of Universal Credit without a thought and actually getting a chance.

FWIW the Scottish Government actually do give a * about the mess you are speaking about, which is why we see the new Social Security Scotland in place which has taken control of some benefits, and why Scottish Gov helped Local Authorities wipe out the ‘bedroom tax’ imposed by Westminster etc. If we had the power over mainstream benefits I very much doubt Scotland would operate UC the way it is and would have a much fairer system in place.

 

I've heard this as well from the 3 employees who I will be advising on what to do with the redundancy and pensions they have once they leave. I'm actually due down tomorrow to speak with them. The Government have certainly helped and its fair to say the company has also acted decently also.
Thankfully no-one seems to be targeting the workers pensions, like we witnessed with the british steel workforce, so that is also a good thing. Although moving the pension may well be good advice but its not seen as the top priority to do, which was a major worry. Sadly though people try and focus on any negatives, real or imagined, that they can.

 

Good stuff mate.

PS- one of the girls that was up there today brought a load of sandwiches and sausage rolls back to the office

The sausage rolls are lethal, just ate about 8 of the *!