Scottish Socialists demand our Ferries kept in public hands

State-owned Caledonian MacBrayne and private company Serco have submitted their final bids for the new £1bn contract to run Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services.

SuzanneSuzanne Wright, SSP Highlands member and Highlands & Islands RISE: Scotland’s Left Alliance candidate said: “Todays news that bids have been submitted by state-owned Calmac and privately-owned Serco for the tender to run the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry services is another stage in a process that never needed to happen – and continues the uncertainty for users and employees of these services as to what the future holds for vital transport links to the islands.

“There is legal precedent to indicate that the Scottish Government would have had justification for retaining these services within the public sector, thus ensuring job security for employees and service provision for customers – the fact that they did not even consider this option indicates that the Scottish Government has little regard for the views of such stakeholders, in what has been a particularly unpopular outsourcing decision.

“The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) remains committed to ensuring such vital transport links are wholly owned by the people and are there to serve local communities. Although the Scottish Government have indicated they will consider the views of local community representatives as part of the tendering process, it is only by having democratic accountability via public control of the service can communities ensure the service is being run in their best interest and not for the pursuit of profit.”

2 thoughts on “Scottish Socialists demand our Ferries kept in public hands

  1. Serco couldn’t even organise their staff to be briefed on the existence of #naloxone to ensure callers to both national drug help lines for Scotland and England FRANK & Know the score. The Scottish Govt had to send trainers in on Jan this year after evidence was provided of poor Naloxone signposting in Dec.I’ve certainly not been notified of any enquiry that has been undertaken into why it has taken until 2016 for Nat drug advice line handlers to be familiarised with a life saving intervention for overdose that Scottish gov have been paying to have made widely available for several years.

    1. * To ensure call handlers could signpost relatives and significant others to naloxone training to support people at risk of overdose.

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