News / Ferry strike has been suspended
SHIPPING union RMT has suspended strike action on northern isles ferry routes after progress in discussions with NorthLink operator Serco.
The union said the move was also a gesture of good will to island communities and meant Sunday night’s sailing from Aberdeen can go ahead along with other trips over the festive season.
General secretary Bob Crow said: “Our members support in this campaign was clearly demonstrated on Friday by the stoppage on the NorthLink ships.
“However, we have kept a dialogue going with the company and our members are also conscious of the effect that the action is having on island communities and in particular at this time of the year.
“We have now been able to make significant progress in discussions with Serco.
“We have asked the company for a number of assurances which have been met and in effort to make progress and as a gesture of goodwill to the island communities we have agreed to a suspension of all action to allow further discussions to take place.
“If we can’t make sufficient progress in those talks we will have no hesitation in issuing notice of our intent to take action again immediately.”
Serco NorthLink managing director Stuart Garrett said: “We are pleased the RMT has chosen to suspend industrial action and our passengers and freight customers can use services as intended today (Sunday).
“Serco NorthLink made clear our intention to streamline the services in order to generate efficiencies when we took over the northern isles ferry services and stated to the unions last month that there would not be any compulsory redundancies.
“We sincerely hope that discussion with the union over the coming days will mean further disruption to these lifeline services over the festive season is averted.”
The news was welcomed by Shetland MSP Tavish Scott, who said the strike should never have happened n the first place.
“Islanders need their lifeline service. Local businesses need to export and imports for Shetland and the oil industry are essential for the economy.
“This cost local people time, money and inconvenience. Shetland has no alternative shipping service so a strike should never be undertaken lightly.
“I trust the union will now put the needs of the islands at the top of their list of calculations for the future.
“This industrial action seems to be linked to Scotrail and the Scottish government’s tendering of the Hebrides ferry services.
“Neither are connected to the northern isles so why our islands should be held to ransom is quite beyond me.”
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