Serco Ferry

[shetlandpeat]

Are the Security section part of the crew, I had an thought they were sub-contracted?

[unlinkedstudent]

Is the case that the crews on the freight boats are not employed by Serco Northlink but that the crews on the passenger boats are. Perhaps cleaners and port security are employed by sub contractors?.

 

Security are sub-contracted, and not just "port security", at present. As far as I'm aware though, they report to Northlink staff onboard the vessel(s) and take part in all necessary safety drills re evacuation, etc. - hence my comment re caring to define crew.

[JustMe]

For those who have not quite got it yet I guess I could "come out" and admit that for many years I have felt that Crow and his union have held the travelling public to ransom while they held strike after strike sometimes with, from my point of view, little justification.

 

Interesting that in this case I am feeling some sympathy for the RMT and less for the Scottish Government and Serco. If the original Northlink put in their tender based on keeping the same staff I think it is unfair if another company can submit a lower tender and then start to get rid of staff. How long before we see the ships port of registration changed to Monrovia or Nassau.

 

At the same time maybe I would just like to ask Bob Crow and the RMT to put the residents of Shetland before their hatred of Serco and get Christmas and the new year out the way before calling a strike.

[ruidh]

For those who have not quite got it yet I guess I could "come out" and admit that for many years I have felt that Crow and his union have held the travelling public to ransom while they held strike after strike sometimes with, from my point of view, little justification.

 

Interesting that in this case I am feeling some sympathy for the RMT and less for the Scottish Government and Serco. If the original Northlink put in their tender based on keeping the same staff I think it is unfair if another company can submit a lower tender and then start to get rid of staff. How long before we see the ships port of registration changed to Monrovia or Nassau.

 

At the same time maybe I would just like to ask Bob Crow and the RMT to put the residents of Shetland before their hatred of Serco and get Christmas and the new year out the way before calling a strike.

 

"For those who have not quite got it yet"'Bob Crow doesnt have a vote in the Ballot,the men and woman who work on the boats vote.Crow didn't tell them how to vote,each individual was able to put the X on the ballot paper.

They are not striking because of a hatred for Serco,THEY ARE STRIKING TO PROTECT JOBS WHICH ARE HARD ENOUGH TO COME BY AS IT IS.

[owre-weel]

For those who have not quite got it yet I guess I could "come out" and admit that for many years I have felt that Crow and his union have held the travelling public to ransom while they held strike after strike sometimes with, from my point of view, little justification.

 

Interesting that in this case I am feeling some sympathy for the RMT and less for the Scottish Government and Serco. If the original Northlink put in their tender based on keeping the same staff I think it is unfair if another company can submit a lower tender and then start to get rid of staff. How long before we see the ships port of registration changed to Monrovia or Nassau.

 

At the same time maybe I would just like to ask Bob Crow and the RMT to put the residents of Shetland before their hatred of Serco and get Christmas and the new year out the way before calling a strike.

 

"For those who have not quite got it yet"'Bob Crow doesnt have a vote in the Ballot,the men and woman who work on the boats vote.Crow didn't tell them how to vote,each individual was able to put the X on the ballot paper.

They are not striking because of a hatred for Serco,THEY ARE STRIKING TO PROTECT JOBS WHICH ARE HARD ENOUGH TO COME BY AS IT IS.

And of course he has no influence

[ruidh]

And of course he has no influence

_________________

Of course not

[papsy]

i can asure you everything that Chookargyll' has printed about alterations,prices and crew aboard the passanger ships is true, as i work on one of them.

[Scorrie]

For those who have not quite got it yet I guess I could "come out" and admit that for many years I have felt that Crow and his union have held the travelling public to ransom while they held strike after strike sometimes with, from my point of view, little justification.

 

Interesting that in this case I am feeling some sympathy for the RMT and less for the Scottish Government and Serco. If the original Northlink put in their tender based on keeping the same staff I think it is unfair if another company can submit a lower tender and then start to get rid of staff. How long before we see the ships port of registration changed to Monrovia or Nassau.

 

At the same time maybe I would just like to ask Bob Crow and the RMT to put the residents of Shetland before their hatred of Serco and get Christmas and the new year out the way before calling a strike.

 

"For those who have not quite got it yet"'Bob Crow doesnt have a vote in the Ballot,the men and woman who work on the boats vote.Crow didn't tell them how to vote,each individual was able to put the X on the ballot paper.

They are not striking because of a hatred for Serco,THEY ARE STRIKING TO PROTECT JOBS WHICH ARE HARD ENOUGH TO COME BY AS IT IS.

 

That's like saying Arthur Scargill had no influence over his NUM members. I want to see a decent service run by a happy crew, but I'm no fan of the RMT either.

 

We live in interesting times.......

[unlinkedstudent]

For those who have not quite got it yet I guess I could "come out" and admit that for many years I have felt that Crow and his union have held the travelling public to ransom while they held strike after strike sometimes with, from my point of view, little justification.

 

Interesting that in this case I am feeling some sympathy for the RMT and less for the Scottish Government and Serco. If the original Northlink put in their tender based on keeping the same staff I think it is unfair if another company can submit a lower tender and then start to get rid of staff. How long before we see the ships port of registration changed to Monrovia or Nassau.

 

At the same time maybe I would just like to ask Bob Crow and the RMT to put the residents of Shetland before their hatred of Serco and get Christmas and the new year out the way before calling a strike.

 

"For those who have not quite got it yet"'Bob Crow doesnt have a vote in the Ballot,the men and woman who work on the boats vote.Crow didn't tell them how to vote,each individual was able to put the X on the ballot paper.

They are not striking because of a hatred for Serco,THEY ARE STRIKING TO PROTECT JOBS WHICH ARE HARD ENOUGH TO COME BY AS IT IS.

 

That's like saying Arthur Scargill had no influence over his NUM members. I want to see a decent service run by a happy crew, but I'm no fan of the RMT either.

 

We live in interesting times.......

 

In all fairness, I've met many a union member during my lifetime and when it comes to voting on industrial action, many don't give a toss about their respective union leaders, more so when they speak on their particular industrial action as many have never even attended any meeting/event/whatever to do with their respective industrial dispute(s).

 

So if the union members I've met are anything to go by, they really don't take any notice of their union leaders and I doubt very much that they are influenced by them. If anything, union leaders are a mouthpiece paid large sums of money to deal with the media and the like, many now totally out of touch with their grassroot members.

[owre-weel]

My experience has been the opposite. In one employment the union reps were constantly looking for a battle and would manage to stir up a majority of staff on a regular basis and would bring in the union leaders at the drop of a hat, to the extent everyone was scared to breathe.

 

Then in another occupation the reps were the opposite they would take a balanced approach an there was a much happier workforce with issues dealt with without fuss.

 

In both situations staff were influenced by the reps and occasionally leaders.

 

In my opinion some union leaders like to feel important and think the way to be noticed is to rattle their drum. Unfortunately some employes are taken in by them. Thankfully a lot of unions and employees manage to see there are two sides to every argument.

 

I heard the GMT chap on radio Shetland and to be honest took what he said with a pich of salt

[unlinkedstudent]

My experience has been the opposite. In one employment the union reps were constantly looking for a battle and would manage to stir up a majority of staff on a regular basis and would bring in the union leaders at the drop of a hat, to the extent everyone was scared to breathe.

 

Then in another occupation the reps were the opposite they would take a balanced approach an there was a much happier workforce with issues dealt with without fuss.

 

In both situations staff were influenced by the reps and occasionally leaders.

 

In my opinion some union leaders like to feel important and think the way to be noticed is to rattle their drum. Unfortunately some employes are taken in by them. Thankfully a lot of unions and employees manage to see there are two sides to every argument.

 

I heard the GMT chap on radio Shetland and to be honest took what he said with a pich of salt

 

I'll agree that those at grassroot levels are influenced by their reps (and shop stewards/convenors) but my initial point was concerning union leaders.

 

Unions and employers alike have moved on since the days of Scargill with many trying to find ground where they reach an equilibrium.

[suuusssiiieee]

Forget Union this and that, the facts are there could be strike action so now Serco should have the decency to come to the table for talks and see if a solution can be thrashed out.

 

I myself fully support what the crew are fighting for and wish them all the very best.

 

The ball is firmly in Serco's court now.

[greenman]

as a trades union member, and rep, i would like to point out that the union IS the members, not the reps. we are here to listen to the members. voting for strike action is a last resort. due to changes in legislation, it is really difficult to call a strike these days. before balloting members 7 days notice has to be given to the employer prior to the ballot. after the ballot result,the union has to give the employer the result of the ballot in 7 days, and the union has to give 7 days notice prior to taking strike action. picket lines can now only be a maximum of 6 members at any one time. members DO NOT get paid for being on strike. so strike action is a last resort

[Muppet]

That's the RMT announced the dates of strike action.

 

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/6019-ferry-crews-will-strike-this-month

 

Three Fridays and Three Sundays which will be busy sailings with all the weekend xmas shoppers. Could mean a boom time for the local retailers!

 

I must say I have some sympathy for the crews here as Serco do seem to be bulldozing through whatever they please.

[JustMe]

Think I blame the Scottish Government for giving the contract to Serco without examining their plans closely enough. And I blame the EU for insisting on competitive tendering for things that are best provided by a government owned body like Northlink was.

 

Given a free choice I would lock the negotiators from Serco and the RMT in a room with limited facilities and not let them out until they had come to some agreement for the rest of the contract period. As that is not possible I call on the government to cancel the contract if Serco fail to run a single service on either route.