Katy Clark led a delegation of MPs to meet with Pat McFadden, the Minister responsible for employment legislation on 13th December 2007. In a move to protect local CalMac workers Katy Clark MP is campaigning for legal changes so that all ferry workers are entitled to the National Minimum Wage and are covered by race relations legislation. At the moment foreign seafarers can legally be used to undercut the wages and conditions of local workers. The island communities of Arran and Greater Cumbrae rely heavily on the lifeline ferry services to the islands.

Katy Clark MP for North Ayrshire and Arran said “We have to get rid of the legal loopholes which allow companies to bring in low paid foreign workers to undercut the existing workforce. I am not trying to scaremonger however we need to make sure that the legislation is in place to protect the local workforce. I see no reason why the National Minimum Wage should not cover all those that work on the ferries. What we have seen in recent years is UK seafarers being sacked and low paid foreign national seafarers being brought in because of the exemptions which exist in the race relations act and minimum wage legislation”.

Katy also led a Parliamentary Debate to call for changes into the Race Relations Act and National Minimum Wage. Since this Parliamentary Debate the Government has announced a Consultation into the Race Relations Act which ran until 14th September 2007. The results of that consultation have not yet been published.