News / Ferry union warns strike could escalate
TRANSPORT union RMT has warned that the strike on the NorthLink ferries to Orkney and Shetland that began on Friday could escalate unless the company honours current agreements.
On Friday morning passengers on board the ferry Hjaltland were ordered to leave the vessel at 7.30am, rather than being allowed to stay on board, as the first strike on the northern isles ferries since 1988 started to bite.
All services across the Pentland Firth are cancelled on Friday with the ferry Hamnavoe tied up in Stromness and union members setting up a small picket line.
Meanwhile a severe weather warning has forced NorthLink to cancel Friday’s northbound sailing of the ferry Hrossey from Aberdeen, as gusts of up to 80mph are forecast for Friday night.
Both freight vessels Hildasay and Helliar are stormbound in Lerwick and Aberdeen until Saturday.
NorthLink operators Serco issued a statement on Friday morning saying they were disappointed the strike was going ahead and they were trying as hard as they could to reach a settlement.
However RMT national secretary Steve Todd disputed the company’s position, saying they had refused to compromise after tearing up an agreement that had been in place with ferry crews since the last strike 24 years ago.
Todd said that the union had withdrawn a threat of industrial action back in July when they feared Serco would ignore a key clause in their agreement that they would consult with unions before making any changes to staff working conditions.
He said the union had initially received a written assurance that Serco would honour the agreement, only to be told three months later that 36 staff would be made redundant without further ado.
“We said you can’t do that because we have an agreement that says before you make any changes you will consult and go through the proper procedures, but it seems to be their way or no way,” Todd told Shetland News on Friday.
The company has now received requests from 36 staff for voluntary redundancy. They are to be given an “enhanced” financial package, while remaining staff have been offered an above inflation 4.25 per cent pay rise this year and next year.
However Todd said the union thought too many jobs were going, and that Serco still refuse to discuss how the extra workload facing remaining ferry staff will be carried out.
Therefore, he said, the two sides must return to the status quo and maintain existing staffing levels while they negotiate a way forward.
Otherwise, he warned, Serco could see strike action escalate after the current three week limited action comes to an end.
“What will happen in three weeks time is the action will probably escalate, but that’s for the members to decide,” Todd said.
“It’s not an action that these guys take lightly, everyone understands it’s a very difficult time of year and the last thing we want to do is stand out in picket lines and cause trouble for the travelling public.
“But right now we’re going round the houses. We need to stop going round the houses and sit down and sort it out, but the company will not go back to the status quo.
“We have said we will go to (the conciliation service) ACAS, but the company will not respond.”
Todd added that staff had been intimidated and harassed, first being told they only had one opportunity to take redundancy, and then being sent individually before the captain to say whether they were union members and were going on strike.
Meanwhile Serco accused the union of failing to respond to their “best efforts” to resolve the dispute.
The company said staff were notified of their plans to “tailor crew numbers to passenger demand” in June, one month after they won the contract.
They added that “formal consultations” began in mid-October and by 13 November they were able to tell unions they already had 36 people wanting to leave.
“We therefore fail to understand why the RMT is continuing with industrial action,” a statement released on Friday said.
Managing director Stuart Garrett said: “We remain disappointed that industrial action means ferry services to the northern isles will be disrupted this weekend and potentially over the festive period.
“Dialogue has been re-established this morning and Serco remains willing to communicate, as we have throughout.
“On the MV Hjaltland, currently weather bound in Lerwick, only eight of the 41 crew members affected are currently participating in industrial action.
“We have worked hard to minimise disruption to our freight and passenger customers.
“We have been in touch with our freight customers with details of our amended timetable which maintains freight service continuity.
“We have also tried hard to contact all those booked on disrupted passenger sailings and advised them to transfer to alternative sailings.
“With regard to the Pentland Firth crossing we have ensured our customers can be transferred to services operated by other providers.
“We would like to thank our staff for all their help in minimising the disruption to customers.”
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