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An act of industrial vandalism
CONRAD LANDIN reports on the closure of the Caley rail works – which will have repercussions for generations to come
Emotional scenes as the last train prepares to leave the Caley railway works in Springburn ahead of its closure today
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IT WAS difficult not to shed a tear as the workers of the St Rollox railway works in Springburn — known as the “Caley” thanks to its foundation by the Caledonian Railway in 1856 — left their workshops for the last time.
From the fitters to the caretakers and the woman running the canteen — still dishing up cups of tea as workers and their supporters gathered for a rally — this was a workforce of pride and dignity.
Generations upon generations of the same families worked at the Caley. And the railways were not just in their own blood — they were the lifeblood of the whole community.
One of the most striking images for anyone on the site was that of Donnie McKerral, who was accompanied to the closure by his grandson Scott Lamond, a prominent Labour and Unite activist.
McKerral started at the Caley in 1946 and stayed there till his retirement in 1997. It’s one thing to watch the workforce wither and shrink over the course of a lifetime. It’s quite another to live to see a government let the works shut up shop altogether, having decided it just wasn’t worth saving.
This was, as both Unite organiser Pat McIlvogue and the RMT’s Mick Hogg said, an act of industrial vandalism.
Given the failure of the current government’s industrial policy, with the troubles of BiFab and the closure of Michelin in Dundee, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising.
But even aside from the betrayal of the workforce, it is galling to see a government supposedly committed to Scottish independence let go of a huge strategic national asset, to the point that in the event of separation, trains will likely end up crossing the border to be repaired.
The fact is, they should have seen it coming. SNP ministers plead that the contracts for train maintenance, which mean most new rolling stock is maintained directly by its manufacturers, is not their manor.
The private owners of the carriages — mostly city banks and global investment funds — call the shots.
But why did they not act to ensure there would be an alternative supply of work? More to the point, when they agreed the terms of ScotRail’s franchise, why did they not stipulate that work must still be carried out at the facilities which ensure continuity of skills and expertise?
Of course, it is not too late for the site to be bought out and reopened, with the workforce re-engaged. But at what cost?
As much as they are desperate for the Caley to be saved, union reps fear this will involve workers taking on inferior terms and conditions, with work only available on an ad hoc basis.
The skillsets could still disappear altogether, with workers understandably finding more secure employment elsewhere.
And then what reason will there be to keep the place going? You can’t save vital skills when there are no skills left to save.
That’s why this act is completely unforgivable. It’s not inaction we’re seeing from the Scottish government — it’s an action that will have lasting consequences for generations to come. Time is running out, and fast.
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