Shipbuilding
Let’s get in the real world: the Far East ship builders are light years ahead of the starting point that is available to the Glasgow entrepreneur.
Their hourly wage for tradesmen is a quarter of our minimum wage.
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Hide AdThey have fully covered shipyards while we can lose as much as 50 per cent of productivity time in the winter months.
Three years ago we placed an order overseas to supply, cut and fabricate all the steel for the new Forth Bridge, and that was to fabricate the structure in sections that could have been done undercover in a dozen different former oil rig yards and shipbuilding facilities across Scotland.
Why was that allowed to happen?
Yes, we are building two big aircraft carriers but it has to be remembered that Asian shipbuilders were not on the bidding list for that work.
COLIN COOKSON
Stenton
Glenrothes