Thousands rely on CalMac services

The Scottish Executive wants the service tendered as one package of routes, for which CalMac and others would be able to bid.

Unions and local authorities have warned of the danger of rival bidders "cherry-picking" lucrative services if the routes were split into several bundles.

Tom Kennedy of the Transport and Salaried Staffs Association told MSPs: "We have a real concern that the present terms and conditions of employment, never mind the jobs, will be under threat."

He said CalMac provided good services for its present level of subsidy and compared the prospect of putting the services out to tender with the reality of what had happened with rail privatisation.

His union represents 100 shore-based jobs in the Western Isles and it has fears for employment if Caledonian MacBrayne comes under more competitive pressure.

Unions also voiced fears that the increased competition could lead to moves to bring in cheaper ferry crews unfamiliar with local sea conditions.

Extraordinarily difficult

Norman Martin, of the NUMAST union and a CalMac officer, told the inquiry he had worked for the company for more than 20 years and had never been asked to compromise on safety.

He said: "That is the sort of thing you can't quantify, but in the commercial world it's a different ball game."

He said waters in which the company operated were "extraordinarily difficult" and the ferry services were operated by crews who had long experience of dealing with them.

"I don't suggest we are cleverer than anyone else, we are just exposed to it more."

More competition

CalMac chairman Dr Harold Mills told MSPs the company had wanted to be allowed to bid for the services as the operator, and was "delighted" this was the proposal which has been put to Brussels by the executive.

He told the committee that what was being proposed for the ferry services was more competition, but not the "classic" model of privatisation.