Tuesday 5 November 2024
 10.1°C   SSE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Transport / Union backs Calmac bid

Photo: Shetland News

TRANSPORT union RMT has encouraged the Scottish Government to award the next Northern Isles ferry contract to Calmac.

The company, which is effectively owned by the government, is one of three companies in the bidding for the £370 million contract.

The RMT said the recent transfer of the Argyll Ferries contract for the Gourock to Dunoon route to the publicly owned Calmac – instead of it being tendered – was a “victory for union members and the ongoing campaign to end profiteering and uncertainty on Scottish Ferry services”.

Transport Scotland decided to incorporate the Argyll Ferries service into the existing Clyde and Hebrides ferry service contract, held by Calmac, at the end of last year.

General secretary Mick Cash said: “Direct awards of public ferry contracts to [Calmac holding company] David MacBrayne, Scotland’s publicly owned ferry company, are to be encouraged and we hope that ministers follow this logic on the Northern Isles contract recently put out to tender.”

Calmac is up against current holders Serco and a third bidder in the fight for the eight-year lifeline ferry contract.

Responding to criticism from Shetland MSP Tavish Scott this week over the tendering process, Transport Scotland said it believes the “tender will deliver the best possible ferry service that meets the needs of the communities of Shetland and provide value for money to the taxpayer”.

The Scottish Government was keen to take the Northern Isles ferry contract in-house but after consultation it decided to continue to put it out to tender.

The contract is expected to be awarded in July.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.