Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, has sought and received assurances from the First Minister over the future of Caledonian MacBrayne workers should another operator be found. The contract is due to go out to tender, with a new contract beginning in October 2013.

Dave Thompson raised the issue of the existing workforce at First Ministers Questions on the 6th September. The First Minister echoed Dave’s description of the staff as “excellent” and stated that even if the contract were to change hands, the staff would be covered by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations. These regulations secure the transfer of workers contracts from one provider to another, giving workers the legal right to transfer to the new service provider on their existing terms and conditions. Commenting on this, Dave Thompson said: “The ferries not only provide a crucial service for our communities throughout the West Coast and Islands, but they are also a vital source of jobs. While it is necessary to put the contract out to tender, it is important that any new service provider protects the jobs that Caledonian MacBrayne currently secure. The vast majority of the current workforce are based on the West coast, and it would be a huge blow to these communities if these jobs were threatened.

I hope that the First Ministers comments will reassure the staff that the Scottish Government appreciates the importance of their jobs and the excellent standard of the service they provide. The TUPE regulations will ensure that even in the event that the contract changes hands, existing staff contracts will be transferred to the new service provider and current terms will be preserved.

This should remove some of the uncertainty for the staff surrounding the tender process, and secure the jobs for our communities. I am also very pleased that the First minister confirmed that there were no plans to unbundle the routes and that the contract would go out as a whole.

Note:

Scottish Parliament Official Report (with full transcript of First Ministers Questions)