The North Boat (Northlink ferries)

[tirvaluk]

then let them wait for the next sailing paulb it is supposed to be a lifeline service not a sail when its flat calm service, the clair would have been able to handle the weather so why not the newer supposedly better northlink ships.

I can remember a few times the Clair was stuck off Orkney for 2 days, we don't want to go through that at again.

[tarotangel]

^^^

Northlink Ferries Limited, is a wholly owned subsidiary of David MacBrayne Ltd, whose sole shareholder is Scottish Ministers. David MacBrayne Limited was a dormant company, wholly owned by Scottish Ministers, which has been activated to become the parent company of the Northern Isles contract. David MacBrayne Limited now owns Northlink Ferries Limited and remains in the ownership of Scottish Ministers

 

Guess that makes it in the interest of the Scottish government!

 

Reading aa that just made my head spin.

 

Since it's supposed to be a service for the isles, what is the point of locating it all down in Gourock!? I would imagine it would be a cost cutting thing but I agree wi Fjool makes it seem a whole lot less appealing and it would not suprise me if jobs started going at Orkney as well. So much for helping the community.

[MaxFusion]

So much for helping the community

 

They only provide a service for the communtiy, it would be a different matter if it were a Shetland Company and they were moving jobs to the mainland.

 

They are not the only company in Shetland to do this to their employee's

just look at Brindister quarry(for one example)

[tarotangel]

Yeah true that, but it does kind of rankle when this kind of thing happens.

[Fjool]

It is as much about how they've done this, as what they've done. Very sneaky.

 

Plus their tender will have mentioned jobs in Shetland; this is them providing a lesser service to Shetland.

[MaxFusion]

I don't deny that, but it still doesn't affect the service they provide.

 

I doubt they would have won the contract based on jobs for shetland

it's more down to the cost of the operations, which is obviously more cost effective for them to have centralised financial department rather than spread out across their offices.

[Njugle]

It would also be of interest to know what the remaining Northlink staff here think of the matter. It may not be the shock (or loss) that it at first seems to the rest of us.

[ArabiaTerra]

Will their subsidy be cut to reflect the reduced costs?

[Para Handy]

How do people who don't have a credit card pay for there trip if there is no one in Shetland

[ArabiaTerra]

I see that the Labour MSP for Aberdeen North, Mr Brian Adam, has shown an interest in the recent job cuts at the Lerwick office. I sent him the following e-mail:

I have just read that you have raised concerns about the proposed job cuts in the Lerwick office of Northlink. I would like to suggest that you propose reducing the CalMac subsidy for the Northern Isles link by the same amount as the savings CalMac would make because of these cuts. It might not save these jobs, but it might make them think again about future job cuts.

[Muppet]

How do people who don't have a credit card pay for there trip if there is no one in Shetland

 

You'll still be able to pay at the terminal. The desk staff will still be there as normal. The finance ones who are going are hidden away elsewhere.

 

Mind you, when Northlink started first, they were not going to have a booking facility at the terminals, it was to be internet/call centre only. It was only after a stooshie that they gave in. Who's to say that might not be the next to go.

[WiiMan]

I see that the Labour MSP for Aberdeen North, Mr Brian Adam, has shown an interest in the recent job cuts at the Lerwick office. I sent him the following e-mail:

I have just read that you have raised concerns about the proposed job cuts in the Lerwick office of Northlink. I would like to suggest that you propose reducing the CalMac subsidy for the Northern Isles link by the same amount as the savings CalMac would make because of these cuts. It might not save these jobs, but it might make them think again about future job cuts.

 

Not sure that Brian Adam will appreciate being called a Labour MSP, I think he's SNP!

 

Section 11 of Northlink's agreement with the government appears to say they can't move finance in with CalMac at Gourock -

 

1 1 .2 The Operator shall ensure that there is no cross-subsidisation between the Approved

Services and any other service run by or activities of the Operator or between the

Operator and any Associated Company and that all transactions with any Associated

Company are conducted on an arms length basis and are so identified in all records

and books of accounts and any such transactions at under value or over value shall

be disregarded for the purposes of each Actual Outcome Statement.

 

1 1 .3 The Operator shall have clear, separate and transparent accounting systems for the

financing and operating of the Approved Services and for receipt and use of the

Grant and shall deal with the Scottish Ministers on an open book basis.

 

The whole agreement can be found here;

 

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/87960/0040118.pdf

 

I think it also confirms in there that any cost savings made through redundancy will mean a reduction in subsidy but Northlink must firstly pay for the redundancies.

[Para Handy]

^^^ Thanks Muppet

[ArabiaTerra]

Not sure that Brian Adam will appreciate being called a Labour MSP, I think he's SNP!

You're right. Don't know how I got that wrong. Luckily I didn't mention his party in the e-mail. http://img2.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/ashamed/ashamed0005.gif

[MuckleJoannie]

Section 11 of Northlink's agreement with the government appears to say they can't move finance in with CalMac at Gourock -

 

1 1 .2 The Operator shall ensure that there is no cross-subsidisation between the Approved

Services and any other service run by or activities of the Operator or between the

Operator and any Associated Company and that all transactions with any Associated

Company are conducted on an arms length basis and are so identified in all records

and books of accounts and any such transactions at under value or over value shall

be disregarded for the purposes of each Actual Outcome Statement.

 

1 1 .3 The Operator shall have clear, separate and transparent accounting systems for the

financing and operating of the Approved Services and for receipt and use of the

Grant and shall deal with the Scottish Ministers on an open book basis.

 

The whole agreement can be found here;

 

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/87960/0040118.pdf

 

I think it also confirms in there that any cost savings made through redundancy will mean a reduction in subsidy but Northlink must firstly pay for the redundancies.

 

It is quite easy to keep the records of different companies in one location and still keep them separate. The SIC used to do this with the Charitable Trust while keeping the fiction that the Trust was a separate entity. Staff can be split between companies. One pays the wages and bills the rest for time spent.