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Less than half of Cal Mac staff working in the Western Isles actually live in the islands according to new figures.

 

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar estimates up to 455 personnel are employed to service the ferry routes.

 

But new figures indicate only 204 Cal Mac staff reside locally.

 

The comhairle is lobbying the Scottish Government ensure that “jobs created for the islands are secured within the islands.”

 

The council says CalMac is not recruiting and retaining enough staff locally to meet the operational requirements of manning ports and ferries.

 

“If these jobs alone were to be recruited from the Outer Hebrides this could have a hugely positive economic impact on the islands, growing population, benefiting local businesses and increasing school rolls,” said the local authority.

 

CalMac provides 250 jobs at its head office in Gourock which is not even a port on its network.

 

The council said privately-owned Serco Northlink locates a number of head office jobs in Orkney.

 

Comhairle’s transport chairman, Uisdean Robertson, said: “To help our economy grow sustainably we need the right operational and investment choices to be taken on our ferry services.

 

“Instead we have seen £80 million spent on the new MV Loch Seaforth and the port infrastructure at Stornoway and Ullapool to deliver a less frequent service than the general public had before when the freight ferry operated alongside MV Isle of Lewis.”

 

The Skye triangle route is to get a new £48 million ferry shared between Lochmaddy and Tarbert with “significant investment” required to upgrade three harbours for the bigger ship to retain a service level “little better than it was in 1964.”

 

A smaller investment would have delivered a dedicated vessel on each route points out the council.

 

Mr Robertson added: “Lochboisdale needs a reliable dedicated ferry service that can be relied on to sail to timetable.

 

“That the wrong choices are being made by CalMac and CMAL around vessel and harbour investments is concerning but it is perhaps little surprise when the management of both companies is so remote to the lifeline routes they are supposed to serve.”

 

Comhairle leader, Roddie Mackay, said: “I think that at a time when there have been serious questions around vessel deployment, ongoing issues with under capacity which have not been addressed and valid concerns around resilience and lack of vessels, it is right and proper that questions be asked about the location of staff and the need for much more local input into decision making.

 

“I would expect the Scottish Government, in the spirit of “island proofing” and the context of community empowerment, to support any such initiative.”

 

A CalMac spokesman said: "The company runs a network that stretches 200 miles across the west coast and while our services serve the Western Isles we also serve many routes in the Firth of Clyde and the Inner Hebrides.

 

"We need to spread the benefits of employment and also of procurement of goods and services across the vast geographic area we serve and we will continue to strive to ensure all communities benefit fairly."

 

 

Call for “fairer” share of Cal Mac jobs  

18 April 2018