PCS: Coastguards in Bank Holiday strike over pay
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) today warned the UK public to avoid taking to the sea for non-essential activities over the Bank Holiday. The warning comes as the union announced a further 48 hour stoppage by 700 members working for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in a long running dispute over pay.
The latest stoppage, starting at 7pm on Saturday 23 August and finishing at 7pm on Monday 25 August follows 5 days of strike action this year, in a dispute prompted by pay levels that fall way behind those paid to other emergency services and the government’s policy of below inflation cost of living increases.
The union warned that the government and the MCA were putting lives at risk by their continued refusal to negotiate meaningfully. The latest two day strike follows strongly supported strike action, which led to the closure of nearly half of the UK’s 19 rescue co-ordination centres. The remainder operated on a severely reduced service and were staffed by a handful of managers, many with little or no operational experience.
The continued refusal to implement the findings of studies saying that Coastguard’s pay should be the same as other emergency services has left staff feel betrayed and let down. Staff are also furious over pay levels in the MCA where coastguard watch assistants, who actively participate in search planning and other duties in response to 999 calls, only earn the national minimum wage.
With starting salaries of £12,509, staff have also been expected to stomach a pay cut in real terms with pay rises averaging just 2.5% for many and the most experienced staff receiving pay increases of less than 1%.
The latest coastguard strike follows growing industrial unrest across the civil service over the government’s policy to cap pay below inflation.
Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: “We anticipate the support for the today’s stoppage to be as strong as previous strikes, so would advise the public to avoid taking to the sea for non-essential activities. Strike action is a last resort for our members who provide an invaluable service in ensuring the safety of shipping in British waters.
“The latest action could have been avoided if the government and the MCA hadn’t continued with their refusal to negotiate a satisfactory outcome. Members have rightly grown angry at the scandalous refusal to pay them the same as other emergency service workers, and by the government’s policy to cap public sector pay increases below inflation. This has led to watch assistants having to receive a special pay rise simply to bring them up to the level of the national minimum wage. Industrial action is avoidable if the government and the agency recognise that they have to pay coastguards a fair wage that is comparable to other emergency services.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
* For further information, interviews and comment please contact Alex Flynn PCS national press officer on 0207 801 2747 or 07833 978216.
* PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 310,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK’s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president Janice Godrich.
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