DEFENDING LIFELINE FERRY SERVICES IN SCOTLAND

11 RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: november/december 2010 :: RMTnews RMT is campaigning alongside the Scottish TUC and Nautilus International to stop the privatisation of key Scottish ferry routes. The Scottish government proposes to separate certain routes from the protection of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network and tender them on a commercial basis. This would place in jeopardy Scottish maritime training and employment, and a vital lifeline for the islands. A consultation document sent out by the SNP Scottish administration, as part of the Scottish Ferries review, proposes to fragment routes and tender them along lines outlined under European Union competition rules. RMT is campaigning for the ferry routes to continue to be part of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network where they benefit from economies of scale and cross subsidy. Above all they should be run in the interests of the local communities, not as profit making enterprises. In addition the training and employment provided by Caledonian MacBrayne is vital for sustaining maritime skills and provides an important source of employment for local communities. Privatisation would open the door to social dumping - shipping companies exploiting cheaper foreign labour on UK ships, in some cases paying just £2 per hour. Currently the lifeline ferry services to the Clyde and Hebrides are run by Caledonian MacBrayne, a publicly owned ferry company, after previous attempts to parcel off the services to the private sector failed in 2008. That failed tendering process, carried out under the auspices of EU law, cost taxpayers £17 million that the union and the vast bulk of public opinion said should have been spent on improving services. RMT general secretary Bob Crow also warned against social dumping by bosses who replace organised crews with cheaper overseas labour has been boosted by European Court of Justice rulings that make effective strike action in defence of jobs very difficult. “On top of that we have EU regulations that insist on putting ferry services out to tender and we will be fighting to defend services and jobs, against legalised discrimination and for seafarers’ rights. “Since the Irish Ferries dispute in 2005, when unionised Irish crews were replaced with unorganised low-paid east European labour, we have stepped up our campaign alongside colleagues in unions across Europe,” he said. The union has organised well-attended meetings in Stornaway, The Uists, the Isle of Barra, the Isle of Arran and Rothesay as part of the campaign to end to the break up of Cal Mac services. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP • Fill in the postcard and return it by FREEPOST – RMT will pass the cards directly to the Scottish Transport Minister. • Write to your MSP asking him or her to support the retention of a publicly owned and publicly accountable Clyde and Hebrides ferry network. • Read the RMT submission to the Scottish government at www.rmt.org.uk and see Campaigns Maritime. DEFENDING LIFELINE FERRY SERVICES IN SCOTLAND Every RMT member in Scotland will receive a postcard to send to the Scottish minister for Transport to stop the privatisation of lifeline ferry services and social dumping