To the wire
The likelihood of the threatened strike of seamen on CalMac’s Clyde ferries has changed from day to day over the last week. At present it is scheduled to start at midnight on Sunday with no further talks arranged to take place before then. On most occasions in the past an agreement has been reached at the 11th hour.
Agreement or not, the likelihood of a strike has created much alarm on Arran over the last week. Hoteliers have been having cancellations and early departures from guests anxious that they may not get away off the island. Restaurateurs have been having issues with buying and securing supplies and even workmen are having to buy regularly used equipment to last them in case supplies are no longer available. The protagonists are CalMac and the RMT union representing about 180 sailors in CalMac’s Clyde ships.