UK seafarers union RMT has welcomed the news that Pentland Ferries’ catamaran ‘Pentalina’ will not be introduced into CalMac operated Clyde and Hebrides ferry routes.
The union had raised serious safety concerns with the UK regulator, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), over the unauthorised modifications made to the ‘Pentalina’ by the anti-trade union owner of Pentland Ferries, Andrew Banks.
Those unauthorised modifications were undertaken in 2015, according to Banks himself, the union claimed.
RMT General Secretary, Mick Lynch (pictured) said: “We of course recognise the difficulties caused to people and businesses by the ongoing failure of the Scottish Government’s vessel procurement programme. But bringing an unsafe vessel onto Clyde and Hebrides ferry services is in no one’s interest.
“We strongly believe that a cavalier approach to safety and seafarers’ rights, hallmarks of Pentland Ferries, have no place on Scotland’s lifeline ferry services,” he said.
