PROTECTING CONDITIONS AT CALMAC

The Scottish Executive is proceeding with the tendering of Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services, despite a campaign led by RMT and STUC against the need to implement EU diktats to privatise the life-line services. Since then, the company has given notice to transfer contracts of employment offshore, allowing Cal Mac to make significant saving on paybill costs through the non- payment of employers National Insurance contributions. The Scottish Executive is justifying this on the basis that other companies seeking to gain the contract will be bidding on these terms. RMT informed the Scottish Executive that it should not be allowing any operator of these essential services to avoid paying National Insurance contributions as this will mean a loss of tax revenue. The union demanded that the tender document be amended to ensure all companies bidding for the contract to run Clyde and Hebrides ferry services retain contracts of employment in the UK. However, the Scottish Executive has stated that this is against EU rules. CAMPAIGNING RMT will continue to campaign for union recognition, against a two-tier workforce and to protect the jobs, pay and conditions of existing workers irrespective of who wins the tender. The Executive said it will put in place all possible measures to protect the workforce through TUPE and the transfer of existing staff, which they believe legally applies. There will also be a clawback of subsidy should a new operator seek to save money on crewing costs through the displacement of existing crew. The Scottish Executive has invited unions to view the Invitation to Tender documentation which will include specific employment policies, terms and conditions of employment and levels of pay for the Clyde and Hebrides contract. The Executive also agreed that unions can meet with short-listed bidders and prepare a report for the Executive. The service specification for the tender will recognise the role of the trade unions and seek information from potential operators as to how they intend to develop industrial relations and bids will be closely scrutinised. At the last meeting with the Scottish Executive, RMT received a guarantee that the network would remain intact, with the exception of Guorock to Dunoon, irrespective of who wins the contract. RMTnews :: march 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk 14 SHIPPING A container of vitrified nuclear waste is loaded onto cargo ship Pacific Sandpiper belonging to British company PNTL at French port of Cherbourg last month. This is the eleventh of twelve controversial voyages returning processed Japanese nuclear waste to Rokkasho-Mura in Japan. RMT members working for Wightlink are being balloted for industrial action after the company refused to offer any increase in wages for this year. National shipping secretary Steve Todd said that a nought per cent pay offer was effectively a pay cut because wages would not be keeping up with inflation. “This disgraceful offer by Wightlink is slap in the face for the workforce and the union has decided to ballot the membership for strike action and action short of a strike. “We demand a pay rise that rewards hard work and loyalty and Wightlink’s current position is nothing less than an insult,” he said. The refusal to increase pay at both Wightlink Guernsey and Wightlink Limited is all the more shocking given that the company has just increased prices by up to 27 per cent. It is suspected that the company is looking to increase profits by hiking up fares to discourage passengers while cutting services in order to lower overheads. Ballot papers will be sent out to all RMT members at Wightlink and Steve urged members to recruit those not already in the union. “If you know of colleagues that are not RMT members, I suggest you urge them to join because the stronger our mandate for strike action the stronger our position will be,” he said. The derisory pay offer came after another dispute over redundancies had only just been been resolved. The company has confirmed that there will be no compulsory redundancies for Fast Cat catering assistants. As a result, RMT called off planned industrial action. However, the imposition of rosters remains an issue which will be taken up by the union. RMT continues to campaign at Caledonian MacBrayne to protect jobs, pay and conditions of existing workers and against a two-tier workforce Wightlink ballot over attempted pay cut PROTECTING CONDITIONS AT CAL MAC NUCLEAR CONTROVERSY