Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Comment: Michelin Dundee workforce deserve better than this

Factory manager John Reid and his team have fought hard to prove the Dundee plant's worth to Michelin.
Factory manager John Reid and his team have fought hard to prove the Dundee plant's worth to Michelin.

I have followed Michelin Dundee’s fortunes for many years.

Its road to salvation under the current management team has been well documented.

It had been earmarked for closure by Michelin’s overlords but local management refused to bow down to the inevitable and, in 2011, the site won an unlikely reprieve.

The crucial stand-off came when a team led by factory manager John Reid presented an investment blueprint for the site to the group’s board at its headquarters in Clermont Ferrand, France, rather than the expected closure plan.

Tyre carcasses ready for the next stage on the production line.

To the outside observer, Baldovie has gone from strength to strength ever since, with multiple rounds of new investment coming into the plant equating to more than £60 million.


>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The Courier newsletter


One of the biggest came with the addition of a major factory extension to accommodate a new production line and increased tyre storage.

That cash was expected to ensure Baldovie’s health for at least another generation and, in 2016, the site celebrated its rejuvenation with a tour by the Queen.

But just over two years on, Michelin Dundee is staring into the abyss.

It is a shocking, devastating and depressing turn of events.

First and foremost my thoughts are with the workers who have invested their time, energy, loyalty and skills to give Baldovie the best opportunity to prosper and who are now facing an uncertain future.

They deserve better than to be idly tossed aside and every effort must be made to cushion the blow on them and their families.

But there is also a wider context here.

In a city undergoing a major economic transformation, our traditional manufacturing base must not be forgotten.