This is a great film. The film was set in Glasgow. The River Clyde in Glasgow launched many of the world’s finest ships. Today, there are only three shipyards left, that tend to survive a hand to mouth existence for their next order.
The skilled workmen usually get paid off between orders and become unemployed until the next order – if there is a next order. The skilled workers are usually the blue collar iron and steel metal workers.
Shipyard work in Scotland is outdoors, is largely manual labour. The conditions and culture can be very harsh.
Depending if you keep your nose clean, you might get kept on as skeleton staff between orders, to do menial tasks at lower pay. Peter Mullen’s character in this movie implied that he didn’t fit in because he had been his own man, wouldn’t cow- tow, and told the truth!
There are a number of reasons why the industry failed during the 1970s and 80s. :-
• Management consistently failed to invest in new machinery and modern management practices. In 1967, the QE2 was built with metal rollers manufactured by Beardmore Industries in 1898!
• Strong trade unions resisted the implementation of modern management methods as this was perceived as a threat to jobs. Trade Union strict demarcation barriers were in forces in the genuine belief that this would safeguard jobs but the system was antiquated and much abused.
• Cheap labour and more efficient practices in the far east undercut Clyde shipyard prices.
Industrial Central Scotland also has a deep rooted problem with religious bigotry. There is deep division between workmates and neighbours regarding who are Catholic and who are Protestant. The problem mirrors the divide in Northern Ireland. People are discriminated against in their occupations, schools and which soccer teams they follow.
As a footnote, as a ten year old, I watched the QE2 being launched from John Brown’s yard Clydebank. One month ago, I saw it return to the Clyde for the last time before it’s retirement to the Middle East.
For my QE2 photos see http://www.flickr.com/photos/smccallum3958/sets/72157604176312478/
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