GMB: Why was Scotland's shipyard frozen out of ferry contracts?
MSPs are being urged to investigate the awarding of contracts for CalMac ferries to Turkey after Scotland’s publicly-owned shipyard was frozen out.
GMB Scotland has accused Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), which owns and operates Scotland’s ferries, of risking the future of state-owned Ferguson Marine after rushing to send contracts abroad.
The biggest union at the Port Glasgow shipyard has written to the Holyrood’s transport committee urging MSPs to probe why work was “fast-tracked” to the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard, in Turkey, to ensure Ferguson’s was left unable to compete.
The union spoke out after The Herald revealed an internal business case prepared by Transport Scotland's Ferries Contracts and Projects team suggesting CMAL wanted to send the work to Turkey because the yard had already been given contracts to build two identical ferries.
Ferguson Marine believed the contract spec was so skewed in favour of the Turkish yard there was no point in bidding.
Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland secretary, yesterday claimed the Scots yard had been “stitched up” by a tendering process, planned by CMAL and signed off by Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government, deliberately rushed to ensure the work would not stay in Scotland.
She said: “It beggars belief that Scotland’s public authorities would actively work to prevent our publicly-owned shipyard from winning contracts and securing jobs and apprentices.
“We are through the looking glass when anonymous, unaccountable civil servants and board members can agree tender documents that effectively bar a publicly-owned shipyard from bidding for publicly-funded contracts.
“It is beyond time for MSPs to hold the secretive and self-harming procurement policies of the Scottish Government and its agencies up to the light.”
Gilmour said Ferguson’s successfully built small ferries for generations before its worldwide reputation was sabotaged by overspends and delays linked to the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa.
She claimed workers had repeatedly questioned the size, suitability, untested design, and unfinished plans for the ferries and were blameless during the ferries’ troubled construction.
Gilmour said: “Fergusons successfully built a third of the current CalMac fleet before being burdened with two huge, ill-planned, unsuitable ferries.
“CMAL and Transport Scotland were absolutely complicit in that process so it adds insult to injury for them to suggest this yard cannot now serve our island communities.
“For decades, Ferguson’s was Scotland’s ferry factory and only needs proper support and ministers with drive and ambition to be so again.”
Meanwhile, the union is demanding urgent clarity around contracts to build two small ferries, a marine research vessel, and a marine protection vessel announced by the Scottish Government in March.
None of the four contracts have yet been confirmed by economy, tourism and transport secretary Stephen Flynn and Gilmour warned continuing delays are undermining the future of the nationalised shipyard.
She said confirmation is needed urgently because, even if the contracts are signed off immediately, construction will not begin for another year or more threatening to drain skills and experience from the yard in Port Glasgow.
