Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 22 May 2013
22 May 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Ferry Services
Mr McArthur’s amendment talks about a pilot. It seems to me that researching and studying the potential for the issues before we rule things out is not unreasonable.
I understand that if the NorthLink service had remained with CalMac, capacity would have existed to have a replacement ferry in a couple of days. However, when the contract was removed from the publicly owned CalMac and awarded to Serco, the minister hailed the announcement, saying that it would
“ensure that people travelling to and from Orkney and Shetland will continue to have access to safe, reliable and affordable ferry services in the future.”
However, over the past few weeks the Scottish Government has been paying for a service that it is not receiving. That is why we ask the minister to inform us what financial penalties Serco will incur and what action will be taken so that people can have greater confidence in the reliability of that crucial service in the future.
The experience of the award of the NorthLink contract shows the influence that ministers exercise over CalMac’s decisions, and the final ferry services issue that we bring to the chamber is one on which we ask ministers to exercise their influence in a positive way. Last week, members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association organised a briefing with employees of CalMac who face a 25 per cent pay cut, at which MSPs heard from four employees who face the prospect of losing several thousand pounds of shift allowances annually if CalMac imposes the new contracts. That will affect around 70 mainly female clerical employees, many of whom work in rural parts of Scotland and many of whom are the main earner in their household.
Even with their shift allowances, those workers do not earn a high wage. One employee said that her current salary was slightly over £22,000, more than £4,000 of which she stands to lose if the proposals are imposed. Those employees frequently go beyond their duties in order to serve the passengers and, indeed, the communities with whom they work. Given that the jobs in question are crucial jobs in often fragile economies, that development is a particularly concerning one.
I have received a response from CalMac, with which I have raised those concerns directly, but they have not been allayed by that response. Although we have raised contentious issues in the debate, I am pleased that Labour members were able to support Kenny Gibson’s motion on the matter, and I know that the minister has also met members of the TSSA here in the Parliament. I hope that he can provide us with a positive response on that issue, at least.
I look forward to hearing the minister’s response on the other substantive concerns that we have raised. It is because our ferry services are of such importance to our island communities that ministers must ensure that they are affordable and reliable for passengers, and that they are properly supported. We believe that, in key areas, ministers have failed in that duty.
I move,
That the Parliament believes that the Scottish Government needs to take action to address a number of failings in its policy on ferries; calls on it to provide a detailed response to the report that it commissioned on the effect of the removal of road equivalent tariff from commercial vehicles, which found that this has had a detrimental impact on hauliers and island communities; further calls on ministers to outline what financial penalties have been levied on Serco following its failure to run the Stromness to Scrabster service because of a mechanical failure to MV Hamnavoe and what action is being taken to ensure that this service is not disrupted in the future; expresses concern that Caledonian MacBrayne’s proposals could see many port staff receive pay cuts of up to 25%, and believes that the Scottish Government should make clear in a statement that it does not believe that this publicly owned company should proceed with these proposals.
15:56
I understand that if the NorthLink service had remained with CalMac, capacity would have existed to have a replacement ferry in a couple of days. However, when the contract was removed from the publicly owned CalMac and awarded to Serco, the minister hailed the announcement, saying that it would
“ensure that people travelling to and from Orkney and Shetland will continue to have access to safe, reliable and affordable ferry services in the future.”
However, over the past few weeks the Scottish Government has been paying for a service that it is not receiving. That is why we ask the minister to inform us what financial penalties Serco will incur and what action will be taken so that people can have greater confidence in the reliability of that crucial service in the future.
The experience of the award of the NorthLink contract shows the influence that ministers exercise over CalMac’s decisions, and the final ferry services issue that we bring to the chamber is one on which we ask ministers to exercise their influence in a positive way. Last week, members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association organised a briefing with employees of CalMac who face a 25 per cent pay cut, at which MSPs heard from four employees who face the prospect of losing several thousand pounds of shift allowances annually if CalMac imposes the new contracts. That will affect around 70 mainly female clerical employees, many of whom work in rural parts of Scotland and many of whom are the main earner in their household.
Even with their shift allowances, those workers do not earn a high wage. One employee said that her current salary was slightly over £22,000, more than £4,000 of which she stands to lose if the proposals are imposed. Those employees frequently go beyond their duties in order to serve the passengers and, indeed, the communities with whom they work. Given that the jobs in question are crucial jobs in often fragile economies, that development is a particularly concerning one.
I have received a response from CalMac, with which I have raised those concerns directly, but they have not been allayed by that response. Although we have raised contentious issues in the debate, I am pleased that Labour members were able to support Kenny Gibson’s motion on the matter, and I know that the minister has also met members of the TSSA here in the Parliament. I hope that he can provide us with a positive response on that issue, at least.
I look forward to hearing the minister’s response on the other substantive concerns that we have raised. It is because our ferry services are of such importance to our island communities that ministers must ensure that they are affordable and reliable for passengers, and that they are properly supported. We believe that, in key areas, ministers have failed in that duty.
I move,
That the Parliament believes that the Scottish Government needs to take action to address a number of failings in its policy on ferries; calls on it to provide a detailed response to the report that it commissioned on the effect of the removal of road equivalent tariff from commercial vehicles, which found that this has had a detrimental impact on hauliers and island communities; further calls on ministers to outline what financial penalties have been levied on Serco following its failure to run the Stromness to Scrabster service because of a mechanical failure to MV Hamnavoe and what action is being taken to ensure that this service is not disrupted in the future; expresses concern that Caledonian MacBrayne’s proposals could see many port staff receive pay cuts of up to 25%, and believes that the Scottish Government should make clear in a statement that it does not believe that this publicly owned company should proceed with these proposals.
15:56
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-06658, in the name of Richard Baker, on ferry services. I inform members that timing is extremely tight, ...
Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I hope that the debate will give Keith Brown a chance to do rather better on this occasion—we all live in hope. This is the third time in the current parliam...
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
SNP
If the measure was so vital, why did the Labour Government not bring it in when it was in power prior to the Scottish National Party coming into office?
Richard Baker
Lab
Our commitment to RET was clear in our most recent manifesto. It is regrettable that the SNP has failed to stick to its commitments on this important issue.T...
Angus MacDonald (Falkirk East) (SNP)
SNP
The general consensus on the island of Lewis is that the hauliers did not pass on the benefits of RET, so perhaps the member should speak to some of those pe...
Richard Baker
Lab
The member should perhaps read the report that was commissioned by his own Government, which found that RET had been passed on by the hauliers. I can tell th...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
SNP
Will the member give way?
Richard Baker
Lab
If I have time, I will take an intervention from the minister later.The second issue on ferries that we bring to the Parliament is one that Mr McArthur has r...
Keith Brown
SNP
I do, but it is on the member’s previous point. I just want to clarify something about RET. Is it the Labour Party’s position that RET should be applied to a...
Richard Baker
Lab
Mr McArthur’s amendment talks about a pilot. It seems to me that researching and studying the potential for the issues before we rule things out is not unrea...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
SNP
We welcome the opportunity to discuss the commercial vehicles study. We commissioned it because we were determined to provide additional clarity for business...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
Given that the minister commissioned the report, what cognisance of it will he take when he sets out the policy? Will he take the economic development of the...
Keith Brown
SNP
I have just mentioned that we have established a working group that will include broad representation from key stakeholders. In looking at the freight fares ...
Rhoda Grant
Lab
Will the minister give way?
Keith Brown
SNP
This will be my second and last intervention.
Rhoda Grant
Lab
I think that I made the suggestion that the minister has referred to. I said that the boat would pay for itself by working the secondary route between Mallai...
Keith Brown
SNP
I would have to check but I think that our estimated cost for the route runs into tens of millions of pounds. We cannot continue to spend money that we do no...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I, too, welcome this afternoon's debate and the opportunity that it provides to consider an issue of pressing importance to Orkney and the constituents whom ...
Kenneth Gibson
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Liam McArthur
LD
In a second.That impression was only reinforced by nods and winks from ministers to local councillors in my constituency that Orkney needed to elect an SNP M...
Kenneth Gibson
SNP
Yes. I am sorry, but I have almost lost my train of thought. If RET was introduced for the Western Isles for political purposes, why was it not introduced fo...
Liam McArthur
LD
It is not just me who has made the argument; across Orkney, the anger that people have felt at what they see as a lack of basic fairness on the part of the S...
Dave Thompson (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Liam McArthur
LD
No, I will not.Lessons need to be learned. The minister acknowledges that in his amendment and he accepted that during his visit to Orkney last Friday. Impro...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank the Labour Party for keeping ferry services on the political agenda.Although the motion is about more than RET, there is no doubt that the CalMac Fer...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
We now turn to the open debate, with speeches of four minutes at this stage.16:14
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
SNP
First, let me say how delighted my island constituents are with the improvements to ferry services that the Scottish Government is delivering. Tomorrow, for ...
Rhoda Grant
Lab
Will the member give way?
Kenneth Gibson
SNP
In a moment.The Tories also seem to be converts to RET. As for the Lib Dems, in 2004 the Lib Dem Minister for Transport, Nicol Stephen, said:“A road-equivale...
Rhoda Grant
Lab
I am listening to the nonsense that the member is talking. Does he genuinely expect us to believe that lower fares for all ferry travellers would not be a fa...