‘S e tha dhìth air CalMac ach crathadh bunaiteach

Cha bhi mòran anns na h-eileanan no na coimhearsnachdan a tha CalMac a’ frithealadh a bhios a’ caoidh an naidheachd g’ eil àrd-oifigeir na companaidh Robbie Drumainn air a dhreuchd a leigeil dheth. An dèidh sin, cha bu chòir idir a’ choire airson tro-chèile na seirbheis fhàgail gu lèir air an starsach aige-san.

[English-language version below]

Nuair a smaoinicheas tu dè as coireach gu bheil cùisean air a dhol a dholaidh sna beagan bliadhnaichean a chaidh seachad – ’s e sin dìth soithichean is an fheadhainn a tha ann air fàs ro shean – tha e caran neònach gur e seo an t-aon duine am measg an iomadach àrd dreuchd a tha air falbh.

Cha robh na gnothaichean mòra a tha air a bhith a’ toirt uimhir a’ bhuaidh air cùisean fo na dleastanasan aige-san.

Ann am brath oifigeil, thuirt a’ chompanaidh g’ eil e falbh “anns a’ bhad”, a’ fàgail amharas nach ann buileach le thoil a tha e a’ teicheadh.

Cò bhuaithe a-rèist a thàinig seo: an ann bho bhòrd-stiùiridh Aiseagan ChalMac fhèin, no an ann bhon chompanaidh a tha os an cionn, Daibhidh MacBrayne Earranta, no an fheadhainn a tha os cionn a’ ghnothaich gu lèir, ministearan Riaghaltas na h-Alba? Agus carson an-dràsta? Chan eil fhios ’am am faigh sinn a-chaoidh freagairt shoilleir air a sin, fiù ’s ged is a tha sinn a’ bruidhinn mu bhuidhnean poblach.

Às bith dè cho math no cho dona ’s a bha Robbie Drumainn, gu deimhinne bha dùbhlain ma choinneimh. ’S e esan a bha os cionn nan aiseagan a ruith bho là gu là, ach cha robh làmh aige a thaobh dè na h-aiseagan a bh’ aca airson sin a dhèanamh. Bha sinn fo stiùir CMAL agus dh’fheumadh CalMac na h-aiseagan fhaighinn bhuapa-san air màl tro riaghailtean a’ chùmhnaint. Le sin, ’s e droch làmh a bh’ aige.

A bharrachd air cion aiseagan san fharsaingeachd, bha iad tric a’ briseadh sìos. Bha sin a’ ciallachadh gu feumadh na h-aiseagan a bha ag obair an toirt bho na slighean àbhaisteach airson seirbheisean eile a chumail a’ dol, rud nach robh riamh gu bhith seasmhach agus a dh’adhbhraich aimhreit gu leòr am measg choimhearsnachdan.

Chaidh innse gum biodh Robbie Drumainn a' fàgail "anns a’ bhad"

Chan urrainn gun iomradh a thoirt a bharrachd air naidheachd mhòr eile na seachdain sa chaidh mu àrd-oifigeir eile a chaidh a chur às a dhreuchd. Sin Daibhidh Tydeman, aig gàrradh togail MhicFhearghais, agus gun stad air an dàil air an dà aiseag ùr a thathas a’ togail ann an sin.

Bha Riaghaltas na h-Alba ag ràdh nach robh gnothaich aca-san ris a’ cho-dhùnadh a’ bhròg a thoirt dha, gur e gnothaich a bh’ ann dhan bhòrd-stiùiridh aca fhèin a-mhàin. Seadh, seadh, nach math an aineolas.

Tha a h-uile càil a tha seo a’ ciallachadh g’ eileas a-nis a’ coimhead airson dà àrd-oifigear ùr: aon airson crìoch a chur air na h-aiseagan ùra agus aon airson na seirbheisean a ruith air feadh na lìonra.

’S fhada bho bha e soilleir nach b’ urrainn dha cùisean cumail a’ dol mar a bha. Ach, ’s e tha dhìth ach crathadh bunaiteach agus chan e dìreach sgiobair no dhà ùr anns na dreuchdan stiùiridh.

English-language version:

There will be few tears shed at the departure of Robbie Drummond as chief executive of crisis-hit CalMac in the communities directly affected by their services. Nevertheless, the announcement carries more than a hint of him being a convenient scapegoat.

Those who understand where the deep-seated problems lie – a long-standing strategic under-investment in new vessels and a completely botched approach to bringing new ones on stream – will be entitled to raise at least a slight eyebrow at the move. These were things outside the personal realm of responsibility of Robbie Drummond, thanks to a highly convoluted management arrangement for the running of public ferry services.

The statement accompanying the announcement said that he was leaving “with immediate effect”, which maybe suggests that it was not exactly a cordial parting of the ways. So where did that come from: the board of CalMac Ferries Limited itself, the parent company David MacBrayne Limited, or the ultimate arbiters, Scottish ministers, and why now? Don’t bank on ever being told, publicly owned company or not.

Whatever his personal abilities or failings, he had an unenviable task. He was responsible for the day-to-day running of services, but not, crucially, which vessels he had at his disposal. That was in the gift of CMAL, the ferry-owning division of the Scottish Government, with CalMac Ferries duty-bound to lease from them through the contract arrangements. So, in effect, Robbie Drummond could only deal with the hand he was dealt – and it was hardly favourable.

It was, in truth, an impossible juggling act. As well as a general lack of ferries, what vessels were left were ageing, way past their sell-by date and suffering repeated breakdowns. It meant pitting one community against another as the ferries that were running had to be withdrawn from their normal routes to cover the ones that weren’t. Cue outrage, with Robbie Drummond stuck in the middle.

It won’t have gone unnoticed either that his departure, enforced or not, came just a week after David Tydeman, the chief executive of Ferguson Marine, was given his marching orders for the continued delays in building two new ferries at Port Glasgow. The Scottish Government insisted it was purely a matter for the company board. Yeah, yeah, sure thing.

It means the search is now on for two new chief executives: one to finish on delivering two new ferries, and the other to oversee the operations of services across all 31 routes. That the status quo was untenable was clear some time ago, as the island communities who have suffered the economic damage from a disrupted service know only too well.

But a change of personnel in key executive positions will do little. What’s needed is fundamental reform of a structure in which it’s too easy to avoid accountability along with a political leadership that’s at least willing to listen.