Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands Conservative MSP, is calling on the RMT union to cancel its planned strike action on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network on Friday. Jamie made the call as Caledonian MacBrayne and union leaders were preparing to meet for further talks on workers' job security and pensions.Speaking today Jamie said:“ I have been using Calmac for nearly 60 years and very much respect their safety record and the commitment of their staff. While I understand the concerns of staff about possible changes to their terms and conditions, I fail to see how strike action can help achieve the negotiated settlement we all want to see and which is the only way this dispute can be resolved. Indeed, further strike action like that planned for Friday only risks turning the public against them.“ In addition, this further planned strike, at the height of the summer tourist season, has the potential to do significant damage to the economy of our fragile island communities which are so dependent on tourism. We cannot afford to send out a message that our islands are closed for business.“ I urge the RMT to cancel its planned strike action for Friday and negotiate until an agreement can be reached. Progress has already been made through previous talks so an agreement is perfectly possible and must be a priority and strike action is not going to help achieve this.”