CalMac services provide lifelines to many islands

There is still uncertainty over plans to put the subsidised Clyde and Hebridean services out to tender.

Concern has been raised that private companies bidding to operate with a lower subsidy will have to cut costs by employing crews at a lower rate.

But CalMac chairman Dr Harold Mills said this will not happen.

He said: "The staff will be protected.

"The Scottish Executive have said that Tupe (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) will apply - now they can't insist on that and enforce it as a matter of law, but they expect it to apply and we expect it to apply.

There's far too much uncertainty been hanging over the islanders and the men and women who work for CalMac George Lyon Liberal Democrat MSP

"What that would mean is that the staff would transfer on the same terms and conditions as they have at present and so they would be protected too."

It seems increasingly likely that under European Union rules the routes will have to be put out to tender to give commercial firms the chance to run the services.

But the Scottish Executive still cannot say when such a move might happen.

Transport Minister Nicol Stephen is due to travel to Brussels to clarify the situation but no date has been set for his visit.

MSPs are calling on ministers to clear up the confusion and end the uncertainty for staff and passengers.

Argyll and Bute Liberal Democrat MSP George Lyon said: "The process has now been running five years and we're still nowhere any nearer actually knowing who's going to run these services.

"In my view we need to get on with it, there's far too much uncertainty been hanging over the islanders and the men and women who work for CalMac, over a thousand of them, who need to know who is going to be employing them in a couple of years time."