Michelin factory closure hits those who transferred from Ballymena

Twelve people who transferred to a Michelin factory in England after it closed a plant in Ballymena are facing redundancy again. The Ballymena factory closed with the loss of 900 jobs.

Michelin is closing its Dundee plant in the UK which employs 845, including the 12 people who had previously worked for the French tyre manufacturer in Northern Ireland.

Michelin had given its Northern Ireland employees the option to transfer to its other plants in the UK when it announced the closure of its Ballymena plant in 2015.

A total of 43 of its former employees in the North transferred to other Michelin factories in the UK including 12 people who went to Dundee.

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But Michelin has confirmed it will also close its Dundee factory, which manufactures 16-inch and smaller Michelin tyres for cars, in 2020.

The French group said the factory had faced “serious difficulties” in recent years because of “a structural decline in the demand for premium tyres of 16-inches and smaller” and “an accelerated shift in the 16-inch and smaller tyre offer towards low-cost, entry-level products from Asia”.

As it did back in 2015 when it announced plans to close its Northern Ireland operation Michelin said its “priority” was to “provide the 845 employees of the factory with the most effective support possible to enable them to face the consequences of this difficult decision”.

The French group said it will offer its Dundee factory employees enhanced redundancy packages, early retirement measures and support to start a new career.