Michelin has officially stopped tyre production at its factory in Dundee, eastern Scotland, after half a century. The French tyre maker decided that continued production at the factory would be “unviable and unwise” in light of the growing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure date has therefore been brought forward from June this year and the factory doors officially shut, according to Scottish labour union Unite.
Unite explained that the closure decision was due to an “influx of cheap foreign imports” into the European market and a “falling demand for premium tyres in smaller dimensions. ”The union also highlighted that Michelin will ensure that the factory’s workforce will be paid accordingly. Around 400 of its employees had found new jobs since Michelin announced the closure of the factory, which opened in 1971, last year.
Factory manager John Reid said the employees would be mobilised to volunteer for projects set up by the community, government and health services to support others during the COVID-19 crisis. Developing an employability programme is in store as well.
Bob MacGregor, Unite regional industrial officer, announced, “It’s a very sad day for the people of Dundee that 50 years of tyre production at the Michelin plant has come to an end before the summer when it was scheduled to finish.”
“However, we want to recognise that Michelin has acted as a responsible employer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has agreed to pay the workers their full wages up until the summer,” he added.
Unite, meanwhile,is working on the development of a Michelin-Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP), essentially a hub for sustainable mobility and low carbon energy, which will create hundreds of job opportunities in manufacturing, remanufacturing, recycling and low carbon transport.