For the second day running, the talks between the strike-threatening RMT union and the state-owned west coast ferry operator, CalMac, got nowhere.
They are to convene tomorrow, Wednesday 8th July, for the third time this week.
This is a strike that ought never to have been threatened, making a demand that defies the nature of life and work – and making it of a party that could never accept that demand.
It is the silliest and most damaging stunt by a Union since Unite almost blew out Scotland’s power supply for good in the strike against Ineos at Grangemouth in the Autumn of 2013 – and were humiliated.
The RMT is demanding ‘long term guarantees of job security’.
Who, in any job, can expect that today?
And CalMac are a state-owned company whose single shareholder – Scottish Ministers acting through Transport Scotland – calls the shots.
CalMac works to a contract. It is currently bidding for the new period of the Clyde and Hebridean ferry services, which it operates – against the massive private sector outsourcer, Serco. The scoring of the bids is certain to be heavily biased to price over quality.
If CalMac were to commit to offering the daft and unrealistic guarantees being demanded by RMT, it would have the capacity to make their bid uncompetitive. They would be committing hara kiri.
The only agency capable of offering RMT what it wants is the Scottish Government – but the arms length pseudo-independent incorporations like CalMac were always designed to keep them out of sticky situations.
Transport Minister Derek Mackay was reported by a BBC journalist last night as indicating that for him the best option would be if both CalMac and Serco accepted the RMTs demands. Likely? Long term strategic thinking?
So what are RMT doing – and can it be worth the cost of the vital public support on the west coast they have thrown in the tide?
This is a simple attempt at double-intimidation in a single stroke – frighten the Scottish Government away from giving the contract to Serco, should it be guided in that direction; and frighten Serco away from wanting the contract.
Neither will work.
Seeing the careless shattering the fragile island economies on the west coast in successive weekend disruptions to their vital tourism trade – in peak season – the Scottish Government is quite likely to turn to Serco to rid them of this meddlesome union.
And as the helpless carrier whose name [and even that is owned by CMAL] is all over the boats that fail to deliver the published schedule, in the eyes as well as the experience of the travelling public, CalMac suffers reputational damage it does not deserve.
With Day 3 of pointless talks tomorrow, this dispute looks like going to the wire – whichever way it ends. This is the worst and cruellest outcome for travellers, holidaymakers and the whole of the west coast’s tourism sector. No one can plan anything, but simply wait passively in victim mode – or simply avoid the west coast for the time being and longer.
Where is the guarantee that this will not be a summer-long escapade in industrial sado-masochism.
