I’ve worried for some time about referring to corporate journalism about ferries, driven only by the profit motive and in a free market of enterprising use of language and information, using the metaphor of a channel ferry sinking in 1987, with the loss of 193 lives. Too soon? You’ll tell me.
The temptation has been too great this time after today’s Herald story:
CalMac chief warning over state of ageing ferry fleet
He didn’t ‘warn’ of course but then you knew that already.
He ‘admitted’ to staff, we read further down.
He didn’t. He ‘reported’ increased maintenance costs and ‘issues’ in accessing parts for older vessels.
Is the CalMac fleet particularly old? No. From research by Ernst and Young LLP, comparing the ferry systems operating in Scotland, Canada (BC), Norway, Australia and New Zealand, in 2022:
Scotland’s ferries are the newest with an average of 22 years, with Australian ferries at 24, Norwegian at 26 and the Canadian ferries at 35!
https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/strategic-framework-of-options-for-the-chfs-network-project-neptune/benchmarking/
Not only enterprising but a bit sneaky and vengeful, the Herald digs this up again:
Let’s just leave the so-bad-it’s-funny suggestion that the bonus ‘culminated‘ in a protest, but on 13 July 2023, the same Senior Reporter, Martin Williams, wrote:
Ferry firm CalMac gives up to £400k in bonuses to staff. THE state-owned ferry operator at the centre of a row over disruption to lifeline island services is paying hundreds of thousands of pounds into a 1.5% bonus to staff this year.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23651538.ferry-firm-calmac-gives-400k-bonuses-staff/
CalMac was forced to respond with:
The article published on the Herald website on 13 July entitled “Ferry chaos firm CalMac gives up to £400k in bonuses to staff” is entirely misleading and contains statements which are completely false.
The truth is that after a particularly difficult year when our frontline staff have worked very hard in the face of extreme pressures, a decision was taken to make a one-off payment to them of 1.5% of salary as a thank you for their efforts on behalf of our customers and the communities we serve.
The Herald article by Mr Williams, states that Executives (company directors) will be receiving a bonus, when the facts are that no director is receiving the payment. Directors will receive zero as this payment is for our staff and managers and not for Executive-Directors.
The Herald then goes on to single out our Chief Executive, stating that Mr Drummond will get £3000. This is false, as Mr Drummond like all the directors will receive nothing.
Although the article is correct in stating that CalMac was approached for comment, it omits to point out that we responded saying we would provide a full response to the claims being made by Mr Williams. Unfortunately, rather than wait till we had provided a full response, the Herald chose to publish a story that contained several glaring inaccuracies.
While we have had cause to complain to the Herald about the publication of stories which we believe contained misleading information about CalMac over the last two years, we have always done so privately to them. However, we feel that the publication of a story that is both misleading and contains inaccurate information requires us to make a public statement to correct the record.
Yours,
Robert Morrison
Operations Director
CalMac Ferries
I’ve seen no apology and Williams is clearly not moved by the facts.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Once a newspaper.
Once a respected newspaper, one of the first in the world.
We Scots of my generation, are witness to an historic decline in serious, accurate and ethical journalism, and sadly Scotland has led the way.
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There should be a law that that fines newspapers for telling lies .
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The Herald of Free Enterprise sank because the bow doors were not fully closed when the ship left Zeebrugge Harbour. Seawater poured in and caused the ship to capsize.
The reason the bow doors were open was because the captain was under instruction to get the ship ‘turned round’ as quickly as possible to maximise the number of daily sailings. Once the vehicles were loaded, the moorings were released so that the ferry could start the return journey. The closing of the bow doors was done during this period as the ship was still within the relatively calm waters of the harbour. The expectation was that they would be fully closed by the time the ferry passed through the harbour entrance and into open sea.
However, on this occasion they were not, with fatal consequences.
A senior minister in Mrs Thatcher’s Government saw fit to make a joke about ‘leaving with the bow doors open’ a few weeks later. He, of course, had to apologise, but did not resign. Mrs Thatcher said she was a “Nick Ridley fan.” Nicholas Ridley was the minister. He was the man who devised amongst other things the strategy to destroy the NUM, so he was ‘one of us’ as far as the PM was concerned.
The Glasgow Herald was a Thatcher fan.
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The Press regulator -IPSO – will be on this story like a rat up a GMB Union spokesman in Glasgow . Or maybe not !
The IPSO , apart from being a regulator of newspapers which newspapers DON’T have to join , is as useful and effective as a chocolate fireguard .
When newspapers can’t tell us the truth and deliberately lie then we are in trouble .
How long before trusted voices like BBC Scotland become simple mouthpieces for those who wish to denigrate Scotland , its Government , its services ….oops !
I’ll get ma coat !
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As I have said before, the once proud Herald is like a penniless old lady of advancing years futilely resorting to prostitution in an attempt to survive.
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