News / Christmas ferry strike threat
THE NORTHERN isles lifeline ferry service faces disruption over Christmas and New Year if ferry crews vote to strike over threats to up to 36 jobs.
RMT organisers are balloting ferry crews after saying Serco NorthLink stopped consulting on plans to cut skilled staff.
Ballot papers will go out next week with a result expected in early December, allowing industrial action to be taken over the holiday season.
RMT leaders say Serco, who only won the ferry contract this year, have abandoned any pretense of negotiation.
General secretary Bob Crow said the union intended to ballot well in time for the busy Christmas period.
“SERCO are fully aware that we will not accept attacks on our members jobs and conditions and what is now an all-out attempt to bulldoze through compulsory redundancies, cuts to core staffing numbers and the casualisation of these skilled shipping grades,” he said.
“We have no option now but to ballot in the face of this deliberately provocative action and the threat to our members’ future livelihoods.”
National secretary Steve Todd added: “RMT will not stand back while staff caught in the middle of this botched privatisation stitch-up on the northern isles routes are threatened with the sack in the dash to maximise SERCO’s profits.
“The public will understand that it is our members’ jobs today and will be cuts to services and increases to fares tomorrow.
“Serco should withdraw this threat immediately and take up the offer of resuming talks through the proper consultation procedure as a way of resolving this dispute.”
Serco NorthLink managing director said he was disappointed at the union’s decision and promised to work closely with unions over job cuts.
Managing director Stuart Garrett said: “As announced two weeks ago Serco NorthLink is in the process of consulting with all seafaring staff and unions with a view to reducing staffing levels to allow us to tailor crew numbers to passenger numbers.
“Consultation with staff will look at all available options and we are hoping to achieve these changes through voluntary redundancies.
“Safety will not be compromised by our decision to adopt flexible crewing levels.”
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