FERRY services face major disruption again next week as crews strike for the second time in a fortnight.
FERRY services face major disruption again next week as crews strike for the second time in a fortnight.
Members of the RMT union working for Argyll Ferries, which runs the Gourock-Dunoon service, have voted overwhelmingly for a 24-hour walkout on Friday amid an ongoing dispute over job security, pensions and conditions. Colleagues at CalMac will also strike on the same day.
The announcement comes a week after three days of industrial action which forced CalMac to axe two thirds of ferry services off the west coast of Scotland at the start of the school holidays.
Crews are unhappy that the contract to operate the ferry services has gone out to competitive tender, with private firm Serco bidding to take over the operation from state-owned CalMac Ferries Ltd.
The Scottish Government said it was obliged to do this in line with EU rules, but there are fears of a repeat of the service cuts and job losses which occurred after Serco took over the Northern Isles services routes.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "Despite the most strenuous efforts to negotiate a settlement on CalMac we are still not getting the clear assurances that we seek that will defend the safety-critical jobs and working conditions that go hand in hand with delivering safe and efficient lifeline ferry services to the communities that we serve. It is a cold hard fact that privatisation is all about a race to the bottom in order to maximise profits and our members will not sit back while they are caught in the crossfire of the tendering process."
RMT members at Argyll Ferries voted 95 per cent in favour of a strike, on a turnout of 83 per cent.
It comes as the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) balloted around 100 of its members who work for CalMac.
Proposed talks between CalMac and the two unions were postponed by the ferry operator earlier this week, but CalMac has offered to meet on Monday instead.
RMT is seeking a guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancies or changes to staffing levels, regardless of who wins the new ferries contract - due to begin in October 2016.
It also wants assurances that there will be no changes to members' conditions of service or pension scheme.
RMT members at CalMac staged a two-day work-to-rule followed by a 24-hour strike from June 24-26, causing widespread disruption.
The union said since the dispute remained unresolved, RMT members at CalMac will also strike on July 10.
Martin Dorchester, managing director at CalMac Ferries, said: "We are extremely disappointed that the RMT has chosen to continue with strike action.The best way to protect the existing terms and conditions of its members is to work with us to ensure we win the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract and this action is damaging.
"We are anxious to avoid any more disruption which is not in the best interests of our employees and the communities we serve and would urge all our colleagues to turn out for work."
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