Investigation launched in row over foreign labour being drafted in at nationalised Ferguson Marine THE SCOTTISH Government-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine has launched an investigation in a row over the drafting in of migrant workers while existing staff were let go. The row began last week when police were called after migrant workers were drafted in to work at the shipyard at the centre of Scotland’s ferry-building fiasco during lockdown and breached Covid-19 restrictions. Some 13 workers of Eastern European descent were seen arriving at Ferguson Marine s site in Port Glasgow to pick up accommodation details. One of the released workers, pipe fitter Brian Hamill says he is one of six men laid off in the run up to Christmas as there was no work , only to see some 13 workers of Eastern European origin being brought in shortly afterwards.
MINISTERS have been accused of abuse of power by former management of the shipyard at the centre of Scotland s ferry-building fiasco after they took an unprecedented step of denying corruption in its dealings over the affair. It comes after the ex-managers said that ministers lost millions of pounds of valuable orders – projects with “huge opportunities lost” – while condemning “highly irregular” actions which created a secret pathway to nationalisation. They allege that ministers have a vested interest in Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd – the taxpayer-funded company which buys and leases publicly-owned CalMac ships on behalf of the Scottish Government and have been shielding their serious failures .
FERRY commuters who have endured an average of 99 cancelled sailings a month since the introduction of second-hand and lightweight passenger-only boats on the Gourock-Dunoon route are set for brand new reliable vessels. Nearly a decade after Argyll Flyer and Ali Cat operated by Caledonian MacBrayne came into operation, and racked up more than 11,000 failures to run, consultants have been appointed to draw up a concept design for the ferries which must replace them. Scottish Government quango Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) still mired in the ferries fiasco at Ferguson s shipyard have awarded the £155,000 contract to international design and engineering firm BMT.
The Pentland Ferries’ MV Alfred COMMUNITY groups, businesses and islanders have today called on the Scottish Government to stop dithering and buy an environmentally-friendly catamaran to curb congestion on the ferry route to and from Mull and Iona. The groups have uncovered a vessel on the market for around 10% of the £100m being paid for each of the partially completed dual-fuel ferries being built in Port Glasgow. The Craignure to Oban ferry route that serves Mull and Iona is said to be the most congested service in the entire CalMac network. But the Scottish Government-owned procuring and ferry owning company, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) said it was not currently a viable option as there were problems with establishing whether the Indonesia-built catamaran complies with regulations that would allow it to get a passenger certificate.