Poll finds majority of Scots want to keep ferries in public hands
A TRADE union which repres ent s f er r y crews ha s welcomed a new poll which shows that the majority of Scots want Caledonian MacBrayne to remain in the public sector.
The Survation study found that nearly two-thirds of Scots wanted the CalMac ferry services to continue to be run by a public sector operator, with only one in 10 favouring privatisation.
It comes days after the Scottish Government agreed to put the tendering process on hold until July 31 pending further discussions with the RMT union, which responded by calling off a strike scheduled for last Friday.
CalMac Ferries Ltd, a subsidiary of Scottish Government -owned David MacBrayne Ltd, is one of two bidders shortlisted to take on the new ferry contract for Scotland from October 2016.
It will compete against private operator Serco Caledonian Ferries Ltd, which has led to accusations that the service was being “privatised by the back door”.
The vessels, harbours and other ferry infrastructure would remain in public ownership through quango Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), but critics fear that Serco would cut staff and increase fares if it wins the franchise. RMT wants a guarantee against compulsory redundancies, staff cuts and changes to pay, pension and other conditions.
It vowed to step up its campaign to keep CalMac in the public sector and do whatever was necessary to defend its members’ jobs and conditions as talks continue. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “The fact that nearly two-thirds of Scottish voters support RMT’s campaign to keep CalMac as a public service within the public sector is a massive boost for our fight to defend these lifeline ferry routes.
“The message from the general public could not be clearer and is backed up by broad political support for public ownership of CalMac. The union expects those overseeing the tendering process to take this resounding, independent polling fully into account and to secure the future of CalMac in the public sector.”