That the Parliament pays tribute to key public sector workers, including CalMac Ferries’ staff, who it considers have risked their lives to maintain lifeline ferry links during the COVID-19 pandemic; supports the 3% pay settlement in 2020-21 for public sector workers; is concerned that, in contrast, seafarers, port and other staff at CalMac Ferries were reportedly offered 0.5% in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to, it understands, an anomaly in the Retail Price Index (RPI) for August 2020; expresses further concern regarding reports that CalMac’s negotiating team refused to recognise this anomaly, only made one offer, which it said was final, and rejected conciliation through ACAS; believes that such intransigence has led to a dispute situation; understands that the RPI rate since August has averaged 1.18%, and that the 1% pay increase was agreed for seafarers and other ferry workers at Serco NorthLink in 2020-21; notes the 2% pay increase for public sector workers in the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2021-22; considers that CalMac Ferries is undervaluing the hard work and sacrifices of key public sector workers in the ongoing pandemic; agrees with the reported view of the RMT that the cost of settling the dispute is minimal; believes that, without resolution, CalMac’s treatment of its workers threatens to undermine industrial relations as pandemic restrictions are lifted, and calls on CalMac Ferries to engage proactively with the RMT ahead of the Scottish Parliament election.