This article appears as part of the Scotland's Ferries newsletter.

Ministers have been accused of hypocrisy for allowing four new ferries to be built in Turkey which has been ranked amongst the ten worst countries in the world for workers rights each year since 2016.

Nationalised shipyard firm Ferguson Marine failed to even bid for the work on building the latest of two new lifeline ferries – before it was again awarded to the Turkish firm that was favourite.

The Scottish Government's Transport Scotland agency had previously confirmed that the new ferries that were due to serve the communities of Harris and North Uist, will be built to the same specification as two others that were being designed and built at the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard for Islay.

They said it would “speed up” the replacement of the major vessel fleet and provide a more standardised vessel type that can be used on a variety of different routes, “providing potential economies of scale and enhanced public value”.

It emerged that that was one of the reasons that Ferguson Marine did not even try to bid for the work.

Ferguson Marine had failed to get past the first Pre Qualification Questionnaire hurdle for the first two-ferry contract and is still struggling to produce two long delayed and over budget vessels.

Scots companies are playing no part in building the vital new lifeline vessels being built in Turkey.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), the Scottish Government-owned firm which owns and procures ferries and harbours, failed to stipulate that there should be any Scottish benefit from the £220m contracts given to the Turkish shipyard for four ferries.

The two ferries at the centre of Scotland's shipbuilding fiasco, MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802, remain in production at Inverclyde-based Ferguson Marine. They were due online in the first half of 2018, with one to serve Arran and the other to serve the Skye triangle routes to North Uist and Harris, are more than five years late, with costs expected to quadruple from an original £97m contract.

The Herald:

New concerns about the award surfaced as the Global Rights Index published by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), confirmed that Turkey has been amongst the ten worst countries in the world in terms of workers' rights each year since 2016.

The section dedicated to Turkey highlighted the repression of strikes, the arbitrary arrests of trade unionists, and the systematic union busting employed by employers.

Its latest report said: “Throughout 2023, workers' freedoms and rights were relentlessly attacked, with law enforcement cracking down on protests and trade union leaders facing unjust arrests.”

The report added: “Moreover, employers continued their systematic efforts to undermine unions by systematically terminating workers who attempted to organize.”

In a survey of 148 countries, the latest edition of the study said the ten worst countries for workers' rights included Bangladesh, Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Guatemala, Myanmar, Tunisia, the Philippines, and Turkey.

The Scottish Government's Fair Work First flagship policy aims to promote fairness, equality and opportunity in Scotland, helping to create greater economic success and sustainable, inclusive growth.

Scotland's Ferries | CMAL stance after sinking of £800m ferry revolution is rubbished

It says it supports employers who adopt fair working practices including providing appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice, such as trade union recognition and investment in workforce development.

It opposes inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and fire and rehire practices and supports action to tackle the gender pay gap and “create a more diverse and inclusive workplace”.

Katy Clark, the Scottish Labour community safety spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government frequently vaunts its fair work credentials, insisting public bodies ‘promote Fair Work First in all relevant procurement processes’.

“And yet, as we speak, lifeline vessels for CalMac’s fleet are being constructed at a shipyard in Turkey, a country the International Trade Union Confederation describes as one of the top ten worst countries in the world for workers’ rights.

“Unions organise under a climate of fear where workers are arbitrarily detained, and human rights bodies have condemned Erdogan’s regime for suppressing freedom of speech.”

The Herald:

Ms Clark, a West Scotland region MSP added: “We know that CMAL commissioned Cemre Marin Endustri without any UK-based shipyard even making the shortlist, and despite ministers failing to identify any community benefits from the contract.”

According to a 2022 analysis of Turkey by human rights organisation Amnesty International “baseless investigations, prosecutions and convictions of human rights defenders, journalists, opposition politicians and others persisted”.

It said that the Turkish parliament introduced “draconian amendments” to existing laws that further restricted freedom of expression online.

It said police used unlawful force to detain hundreds of participants in banned Pride marches in several provinces, and said the right to peaceful assembly remained severely curtailed.

Ms Clark, a life peer and long-term former MP for North Ayrshire and Arran added: “After years of failing to replenish the fleet, it is unsurprising the Scottish Government’s approach to procurement is so panicked. But this only reinforces the urgent need to rebuild shipbuilding capacity in Scotland, so we can move forward with a ferries strategy that is not only more sustainable but more ethical.”

A spokesman for CMAL said: “We adhere to the Scottish Government’s procurement process, and it was applied to this contract the same way it is applied to all of our contracts. CMAL did not receive any bids from UK yards for either of the contracts subsequently awarded to Cemre Marin Endustri.”

Ferguson Marine conducted a detailed analysis of bidding for the latest two-ferry contract but concluded that, based on the associated documents published, the probability of winning the contract was “sufficiently low to recommend declining to bid”.

Papers associated with the decision showed that it was believed that the qualification conditions in the tender documents contained criteria Ferguson Marine could not meet.

Key factors included that the two vessels in the series had already been awarded to Cemre Marin Endustri.

“The additional two vessels were of the same design, giving Cemre Marine Endustri a substantial schedule and cost advantage,” one paper stated.

As Turkey landed a second £115m contract earlier this year to build two ferries, the only Scottish benefit stipulated was that an unspecified number of Scottish apprentices would get an unspecified period on attachment at the Turkish yard.

As of March 31, of the 58 companies providing products or services for ferries being built in Turkey – all are from overseas or based in England.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “The Scottish Government is committed to commissioning new ferries to support our island communities. The Islay ferry routes are some of the busiest services for freight on the west coast and the new vessels will help to grow the island’s economy, as well as bringing added resilience to the wider network.

“In line with relevant procurement legislation, an open tendering process was led by CMAL as the procuring authority. The bid received from this yard represented the best value for money in terms of quality and price.”

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