DEFENDING SCOTTISH FERRY SERVICES

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2011 :: RMTnews 15 RMT has demanded that the Scottish government and Caledonian MacBrayne “come clean” and lift the threat to jobs on the Gourock-Dunoon ferry route after news leaked that the publicly owned company had bid to downgrade to a passenger-only service. The company, which currently runs a combined passenger and freight service across the Clyde, has conceded that crew and staff had found out ‘by default’ that it was preparing to drop freight operations under cover of the tendering process imposed by Holyrood. RMT general secretary Bob Crow, in Scotland campaigning to defend lifeline ferry services and jobs, has written to the Scottish government seeking assurances that jobs and services on the route would be protected. “It is completely unacceptable that loyal CalMac staff and the people who rely on the services they provide should find out through gossip that decisions have been taken that cast a long shadow over essential jobs and services. “The government has been sitting on the whole unnecessary tendering process for nearly two years, and we understand that CalMac has been actively looking at new passenger-only vessels for some time,” he said. RMT, along with the STUC and local community campaigners and trade unionists, held meeting in Balivanich, The Uists and Stornoway, Lewis this month addressed by Bob Crow, national secretary Steve Todd and president Alex Gordon. “The speculation about job losses and privatisation following the tendering of the Gourock-Dunoon route, at the instigation of the European Parliament, is a graphic demonstration of the threat posed to the Scottish Ferry services and we are seeking urgent assurances that there will be no compulsory redundancies and no privatisation,” said Bob. One of the routes threatened by privatisation is the Ardrossan sailing to Brodick in the Isle of Arran. The union had the first of the two meetings in Brodick addressed by Steve Todd, and RMT Parliamentary group member Katy Clark MP. Steve spelt out the dangers to the island community of the Scottish government proposals making clear that privatisation would hit the terms and conditions and job security of the workforce as well as service levels and fares. Katy Clark MP spoke out against the proposals and stated that most people were unaware of the threat of privatisation. She urged the meeting to spread the word amongst the community and step up opposition to the proposals. She also urged people to lobby candidates for the Scottish Parliament and other elected politicians. Currently the Scottish government is only allowed by the European Commission to subsidise passengers on the Gourock to Dunoon route due to the existence of private sector operator Western Ferries who also run a freight service close to the town centre of Dunoon. The Scottish government has now rushed out a tender specification requiring Caledonian MacBrayne to compete for the route alongside a number of private sector companies. The EU notified the Scottish government that they required a tender for the ferry route in December 2009 but Holyrood has delayed action until the last possible moment. Scottish government transport minister Keith Brown has so far refused to guarantee that TUPE or pension protections apply. In 2006 prior to the first round of tendering for the wider Clyde and Hebrides ferry network the Scottish government explicitly safeguarded the future of the workforce in the tender specification. At the time the tender document for the Clyde and Hebrides network required a subsidy clawback if any new operator winning the tender subsequently sought to make increased profits by reducing terms and conditions or attacking pensions. Catch the latest video updates on RMT’s own on-line station at www.rmtv.org.uk CHANNEL 1: RMT IN ACTION May Day: footage and interviews from this year’s International Workers’ Day celebrations CHANNEL 2: NEWS BULLETINS Network Rail pay deal: Bob Crow on the ground- breaking Olympics deal. Re-instate Arwyn and Eamonn: as RMT wins the re-instatement of Eamonn Lynch and commitment to resolve Arwyn Thomas’s case before his full tribunal hearing, Pat Sikorski outlines the overwhelming case against the victimisation RMT reps on London Underground CHANNEL 3: HISTORY The People’s Flag: First in an acclaimed four-part documentary on the history of the labour movement, by Chris Reeves CHANNEL 4: RMT EXTRA The Banner Man: Ed Hall shares the secrets of banner-making in an exclusive RMTv interview Japanese tsunami: Japanese transport union EB on the impact of the devastating earthquake and tsunami and the international solidarity shown by unions to help bring relief Catch them all and a lot more at www.rmtv.org.uk WHAT’S NEW ON RMTV www.RMTv.org.uk DEFENDING SCOTTISH FERRY SERVICES RMT takes fight to communities directly affected by attacks on Cal Mac lifeline services