Serco Ferry

[ruidh]

I think this is a case of the bad (RMT) calling the bad (SERCO) bad. But as far as I understand it the RMT members on the ferries voted in favour of industrial action and then the RMT selected dates that would hurt the people of Shetland and Orkney far more than they will hurt the RMT, RMT members and Serco.

 

So here is a challenge to the RMT members. Do not strike in the run up to Christmas or New Year........or Up Helly Aa. Tell your union you refuse to do this because it hurts your customers too much and instead have some faith in the Scottish Government to ensure that Serco plays by the rules or loses the contract.

 

Here's a challenge,once you get home to your own planet keep taking your medication!! Faith in this Scottish Goverment,Serco play by the rules....as I said keep taking the medication.

Serco representatives refused to respond to the RMT’s proposal that this issue be referred to ACAS. In fact, the company did not even have the courtesy to respond to register their disagreement with this reasonable proposal but simply ignored it.

[JustMe]

I think this is a case of the bad (RMT) calling the bad (SERCO) bad. But as far as I understand it the RMT members on the ferries voted in favour of industrial action and then the RMT selected dates that would hurt the people of Shetland and Orkney far more than they will hurt the RMT, RMT members and Serco.

 

So here is a challenge to the RMT members. Do not strike in the run up to Christmas or New Year........or Up Helly Aa. Tell your union you refuse to do this because it hurts your customers too much and instead have some faith in the Scottish Government to ensure that Serco plays by the rules or loses the contract.

 

Here's a challenge,once you get home to your own planet keep taking your medication!! Faith in this Scottish Goverment,Serco play by the rules....as I said keep taking the medication.

Serco representatives refused to respond to the RMT’s proposal that this issue be referred to ACAS. In fact, the company did not even have the courtesy to respond to register their disagreement with this reasonable proposal but simply ignored it.

The government giveth and I guess if Serco break the rules the government can take away. But would it not make the RMT look better than Serco (and maybe the Scottish Government) if they were to agree not to hurt their customers at Christmas. I am not in any way biased about this as I am not going away at Christmas and the only friend who is will hopefully be flying but if Serco are bad then make them look worse!.

[Ghostrider]

^ Standard union tactics though, take advantage of the end users wrath to add pressure on the employer. Select the most inconvenient to end user times so that the maximum number are annoyed as much as possible, and hope they then feel the need to vent that ire at the employer.

 

It almost certainly isn't going to end up being a PR exercise for the union, but looking on the bright side its tactics that might just bring the dispute to a much speedier conclusion than "user friendly" timed ones. Whether the (hopefully) shorter term chaos the current proposals will likely create, or longer term lesser inconvenience is preferable, I guess is down to a matter of personal choice.

[chookyargyll]

I think this is a case of the bad (RMT) calling the bad (SERCO) bad. But as far as I understand it the RMT members on the ferries voted in favour of industrial action and then the RMT selected dates that would hurt the people of Shetland and Orkney far more than they will hurt the RMT, RMT members and Serco.

 

So here is a challenge to the RMT members. Do not strike in the run up to Christmas or New Year........or Up Helly Aa. Tell your union you refuse to do this because it hurts your customers too much and instead have some faith in the Scottish Government to ensure that Serco plays by the rules or loses the contract.

 

Why dont you go and lie down in a dark room and do not open your eyes until you are back in the real world ? Strike action is always a last resort and not taken lightly. This action is timed to cause maximum disruption in the hope we can get that clown Garrett round the table and stop peddling lies in the hope we can get a speedy settlement. As for the scottish government ??LMFAO. P.S Are you related to him ? Or are you just doing a bit of PR on the side for Serco?

[chookyargyll]

I think this is a case of the bad (RMT) calling the bad (SERCO) bad. But as far as I understand it the RMT members on the ferries voted in favour of industrial action and then the RMT selected dates that would hurt the people of Shetland and Orkney far more than they will hurt the RMT, RMT members and Serco.

 

So here is a challenge to the RMT members. Do not strike in the run up to Christmas or New Year........or Up Helly Aa. Tell your union you refuse to do this because it hurts your customers too much and instead have some faith in the Scottish Government to ensure that Serco plays by the rules or loses the contract.

 

Here's a challenge,once you get home to your own planet keep taking your medication!! Faith in this Scottish Goverment,Serco play by the rules....as I said keep taking the medication.

Serco representatives refused to respond to the RMT’s proposal that this issue be referred to ACAS. In fact, the company did not even have the courtesy to respond to register their disagreement with this reasonable proposal but simply ignored it.

 

Totally agree with your post "Ruidh" They dont like it up them !!

[JustMe]

I think this is a case of the bad (RMT) calling the bad (SERCO) bad. But as far as I understand it the RMT members on the ferries voted in favour of industrial action and then the RMT selected dates that would hurt the people of Shetland and Orkney far more than they will hurt the RMT, RMT members and Serco.

 

So here is a challenge to the RMT members. Do not strike in the run up to Christmas or New Year........or Up Helly Aa. Tell your union you refuse to do this because it hurts your customers too much and instead have some faith in the Scottish Government to ensure that Serco plays by the rules or loses the contract.

 

Why dont you go and lie down in a dark room and do not open your eyes until you are back in the real world ? Strike action is always a last resort and not taken lightly. This action is timed to cause maximum disruption in the hope we can get that clown Garrett round the table and stop peddling lies in the hope we can get a speedy settlement. As for the scottish government ??LMFAO. P.S Are you related to him ? Or are you just doing a bit of PR on the side for Serco?

 

Strike action always a last resort?. In fairness maybe this is the case with the marine section of the RMT but it is certainly not the case with the London Underground or indeed London Buses. A few old unions with rabid leaders such as Bob Crow are far too keen on strikes. But of course the union leaders do not lose wages during those strikes.

 

But perhaps you or ruidh can answer this. Serco says they do not understand why you are striking when they have promised no compulsory redundancies so maybe you can explain it. Surely it cannot be that the RMT in general and Bob Crow in particular just hate Serco.

 

Now you talk about a speedy settlement. Yes that would be good but since, if I understand things correctly, the number of job losses Serco wants have been achieved already with voluntary redundancies so is there so much of a rush that the RMT are prepared to spoil the Christmases of potentially hundreds of their customers in order to strike now. Call the action off until the new year to demonstrate that the ferry crews care more about Orkney and Shetland than Serco do.

[shetlandpeat]

The Challenge, Just Me is already there. Tell me what qualifies you to tell folk they should not withdraw their labour as a final act of protest and to their own loss financially. The dates have been announced, the ballot was legal, what is the problem? It is a dispute between the work force and their employer. If anything, you should be lobbying Serco and the SGOV to start negotiations. It is a lifeline service, on the whole that could lose out. That is, if you really care and just do not have an issue with unions. You sound like something I heard in the past....

 

Check out how many disputes Serco are currently "managing". They are good at moving assets around...

[Ehhhwhit]

The Challenge, Just Me is already there. Tell me what qualifies you to tell folk they should not withdraw their labour as a final act of protest and to their own loss financially. The dates have been announced, the ballot was legal, what is the problem? It is a dispute between the work force and their employer. If anything, you should be lobbying Serco and the SGOV to start negotiations. It is a lifeline service, on the whole that could lose out. That is, if you really care and just do not have an issue with unions. You sound like something I heard in the past....

 

Check out how many disputes Serco are currently "managing". They are good at moving assets around...

 

The ballot was legal no argument their you seem to forget the dates were set by Crow and Co after the ballot, I doubt very much if the members were then given a selection of dates and asked their opinions on that.

 

As someone said earlier the redundancies had all but been met voluntarily think they had 32 voluntary! Where does bob Crow and co find fault in that.

 

A business is trying to streamline its costs sensible in the current economic climate and protects what jobs it can during that process ! sorry but I really cant find fault in that.

 

I would like to ask Ruidh or Chook (sorry if its spelt wrong)seeing as they are both obviously staff and I would say at least one a shop steward to be honest and tell us the shift patterns of the staff involved ! I was speaking to someone who has a relative who works on one of the passenger ferrys ! one of Serco`s reasons for all this is to streamline shift patterns seemingly and the aforementioned said that it was no wonder people were losing their jobs as the current shifts are un sustainable, his relative was off more than he worked, along the lines of 2 weeks on 2 off followed by the same then 4 weeks off ? Not bad if you can get it and sure as hell worth fighting to keep at any cost !

 

Im all for people fighting for their rights but this as more and more comes to light seems to be a war on Serco by Bob Crow who is leading his merry men astray imho !

[Guest Lone Wolf]

I'm not a fan of strikes nor unions - I have been a member of a big union in the past and they were about as useful as a soggy cucumber in a knife fight. I also feel that there are millions out there that would jump at the chance of a job on one of those ferries and more still that would want a payrises in excess of 4%.

 

All that said any individual has the right to have their voice heard and if they don't receive what they want, can take ultimate action. My useless union left me with no choice but to leave employment - I'd have rather stayed on the terms I sought, but that was not possible (I actually wanted reduced hours due to my health, but the employer refused and the union was hopeless in their support).

 

Such action though has to be effective and to ask for strike dates that do as little harm to the customer as possible as Justme suggests, is like asking a footballer to dive, but not in or around the penalty area - what's the point of that?

 

I hope the situation is satisfactorily resolved for everyone, most of all the passengers affected.

[Muppet]

There's no point in calling a strike at the time of least inconvenience. That would just allow Serco to hold out for longer, while saving on wages and fuel costs. There are still 5 sailings a week in each direction and no more than a days wait till the next one. If they wait till after New Year to strike, there will only be one freight vessel running to carry any backlog of freight.

 

With a passenger capacity of 600 on each sailing that's still a lot of people that can be moved. Except of course the passenger capacity seems to have been reduced by downmanning. Remember that there already seem to have been passengers left on the Quayside at the quietest time of year with our 'new improved lifeline service'

 

It's Serco and the Scottish Government that need to be taken to task. Not what's left of the ships crews.

[Kavi Ugl]

The "voluntary" redundancies approach is just another way of slashing the service.

 

The truth is many workers near reitrement take the money and run simply because they're sick of the way that things are going nowadays.

 

In my experience many would probaby stay on until retirement if the job and morale hadn't been run into the ground by stupid, paper-trail, penny-pinching management.

 

Sounds like the SIC....wait a minute......

 

The crews and workers at NorthLink are simply finding themselves up against this cretinous style of management that many of us have to endure nowadays.

 

You have my support and the Scottish Government need a good hiding not just for this but how they're treating Shetland in general.

[owre-weel]

This action is timed to cause maximum disruption in the hope we can get that clown Garrett round the table and stop peddling lies in the hope we can get a speedy settlement.

 

Aha the truth at last. So are you saying that the GMT rep on Radio Shetland last week lied to us all, when he said they would do as much as possible to cause the least interruption to the lifeline services.?

 

As expected, not to be trusted!

 

Now before you get you hackles up, I don't support Serco either and believe they need to get there act together, but it is clear the GTM union really don't care how their actions will affect the residents of these isles.

 

Perhaps being a bit more professional and not calling the guy a clown might help for a start.

[owre-weel]

I think this is a case of the bad (RMT) calling the bad (SERCO) bad. But as far as I understand it the RMT members on the ferries voted in favour of industrial action and then the RMT selected dates that would hurt the people of Shetland and Orkney far more than they will hurt the RMT, RMT members and Serco.

 

So here is a challenge to the RMT members. Do not strike in the run up to Christmas or New Year........or Up Helly Aa. Tell your union you refuse to do this because it hurts your customers too much and instead have some faith in the Scottish Government to ensure that Serco plays by the rules or loses the contract.

 

Here's a challenge,once you get home to your own planet keep taking your medication!! Faith in this Scottish Goverment,Serco play by the rules....as I said keep taking the medication. Serco representatives refused to respond to the RMT’s proposal that this issue be referred to ACAS. In fact, the company did not even have the courtesy to respond to register their disagreement with this reasonable proposal but simply ignored it.

 

Now here's a challenge, how about being a bit more civil to folk who may not agree with you or your unions actions. If this is the way you and your colleagues converse with people it's no wonder you can't get them around a table.

 

A bit of civility goes a long way

[ruidh]

The Challenge, Just Me is already there. Tell me what qualifies you to tell folk they should not withdraw their labour as a final act of protest and to their own loss financially. The dates have been announced, the ballot was legal, what is the problem? It is a dispute between the work force and their employer. If anything, you should be lobbying Serco and the SGOV to start negotiations. It is a lifeline service, on the whole that could lose out. That is, if you really care and just do not have an issue with unions. You sound like something I heard in the past....

 

Check out how many disputes Serco are currently "managing". They are good at moving assets around...

 

The ballot was legal no argument their you seem to forget the dates were set by Crow and Co after the ballot, I doubt very much if the members were then given a selection of dates and asked their opinions on that.

 

As someone said earlier the redundancies had all but been met voluntarily think they had 32 voluntary! Where does bob Crow and co find fault in that.

 

A business is trying to streamline its costs sensible in the current economic climate and protects what jobs it can during that process ! sorry but I really cant find fault in that.

 

I would like to ask Ruidh or Chook (sorry if its spelt wrong)seeing as they are both obviously staff and I would say at least one a shop steward to be honest and tell us the shift patterns of the staff involved ! I was speaking to someone who has a relative who works on one of the passenger ferrys ! one of Serco`s reasons for all this is to streamline shift patterns seemingly and the aforementioned said that it was no wonder people were losing their jobs as the current shifts are un sustainable, his relative was off more than he worked, along the lines of 2 weeks on 2 off followed by the same then 4 weeks off ? Not bad if you can get it and sure as hell worth fighting to keep at any cost !

 

Im all for people fighting for their rights but this as more and more comes to light seems to be a war on Serco by Bob Crow who is leading his merry men astray imho !

 

The shift patterns were all negotiated with the previous employer,note the word Negotiated. There was no talk,or threats of strikes in the last 30 years of negotiation with P&O or Northlink,You have to ask yourself why now,and as I've said in a previous post , RMT members are individuals with minds of their own and could have put their x in the no box.

[JustMe]

Just so you do not think I am in any way against the crews who work on our lifeline ferries let me assure you that I am not. In fact I trustingly believed that the rules (TUPE?) covering takeovers would protect the staff from the likes of Serco coming in to make money at the expense of staff, passengers and ultimately the tax payer.

 

Only idea I can give to the RMT right now is that perhaps they could help the next passenger left on the quayside due to Serco's policies to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Government and perhaps even to the EU on the grounds that Serco are in breach of the contract they managed to sneak away from Northlink by not declaring how they managed to be cheaper.

 

That still leaves the strike. I hear that one of the services liable to be hit by the strike is the one that brings Shetland students home to their families for Christmas. Might be worth more in good public relations for the RMT to at least call off that strike to demonstrate that they have more heart than Serco.