RMT warns Nicola Sturgeon of dire consequences of continual underfunding of life-line Orkney Ferries

Shipping union, RMT, has confirmed that it has written to Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warning of the dire consequences for Orkney’s life-line ferry services both in terms of service delivery and the impact on industrial relations of decades of cuts which will come to a head with a £1.6 million deficit on the budget this year.

In the letter, RMT General Secretary Mick Cash says: “I am writing to you to spell out the damaging effect that the Scottish Government’s policies are having on RMT members who work on Orkney Ferries, where my union is recognised for collective bargaining purposes.

“For the last five years, RMT has been repeatedly warning your Government of the dangers to our members’ terms and conditions from a perfect storm of ageing vessels, ageing crew, and historic funding shortfalls on council-run Orkney Ferries. We are now approaching the very real prospect of service and job cuts as a direct result of the Scottish Government’s failure to properly fund these lifeline ferry services for Orcadians.

“As you would expect, any threat to RMT members’ jobs on Orkney Ferries will be fiercely resisted. We will continue to make this clear to the employer, and we are now making it clear to the Scottish Government as your administration’s policies have played a direct role in creating these avoidable industrial circumstances.”

The union has pointed out that a £1.6 million shortfall on funding of the services comes on top of thirty years of under-resourcing and has left the ageing fleet in dire need of investment and upgrading, and threatens both the viability of the service now and into the future and the jobs, terms and conditions of the ferry crew.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “For too long the Scottish Government has buried their heads in the sand when it comes to investment and resourcing of the life-line Orkney Ferry services, and things have now come to a head as the toxic combination of factors threatens the very viability of the operation and the livelihoods of the staff who deliver it.

“RMT has made it clear that we will fight with every tool at our disposal any proposals that would impact negatively on both our members and the service to Orcadians.

“RMT is demanding that the budget shortfall is addressed immediately and that the union is consulted on a serious plan for the future that faces up to the reality of decades of underinvestment.”