Union say vote to Leave the EU only way to save Scottish Ferries
Transport union RMT will today call for a Leave vote in the forthcoming EU referendum to save Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry services from privatisation.
RMT Union say leaving the EU is the only way to protect Caledonian MacBryane ferry services from privatisation.
Mike Cash, general secretary of transport union RMT, will call for a Leave vote in the EU referendum - which he says would save the ferry services.
Clyde and Hebrides Ferry services, currently operated in the public sector by CalMac, are being put out to tender under EU regulations.
The tendering timetable was set prior to the June 23 referendum date being known and RMT said it will be "untenable" for the Scottish Government to complete it under EU rules until after the result.
Mr Cash, who will speak at a fringe event at the STUC conference, said: "That means the referendum provides an opportunity to save our ferry services from this EU directed privatisation.
"People should be in no doubt that if Scottish ferries end up being privatised the Scottish Government will have pulled the trigger and the EU will have provided the gun."
The Scottish Government previously said the procurement process has been deemed "fair, open and transparent" and that Scottish ministers would retain control of all of important issues, such as fares and timetables, through the public service contract, no matter what the outcome was.