Coastguards threaten exit in reaction to new contract proposals
Coastguard officers could be set to leave the service in droves after new plans to reclassify their volunteer status following a landmark tribunal decision in January.
The Court of Appeal ruling confirmed that coastguard rescue officers (CROs) across the UK who received payment for their time were legally entitled to worker status.
The case involved Martin Groom, who was removed from his post in 2020 after serving as an officer for 30 years.
The Court of Appeal ruled that a contract exists between CROs and HM Coastguard where remuneration is involved, so despite being labelled volunteers, they are workers in the eyes of the law.
Following the ruling, CROs can claim a rate of around £11 an hour for callouts and are entitled to workers’ rights such as paid holiday.
However, the Maritime and Coastal Agency (MCA) recently announced it would “change how the service operates” and will remove the payment later this year through a “revised volunteer model”.
This model would allow CROs to claim expenses such as mileage, and they would still receive training, uniforms and personal protective equipment.
UK maritime minister Keir Mather has backed the plans, which critics have described as a “fire and rehire” approach.
The MCA claims that the new model will allow CROs to maintain “choice and flexibility” so they can carry on their duties alongside their day jobs.
According to a report in The Times, an internal survey of MCA officers suggests that 40% of CROs based in Scotland would either leave or significantly reduce their hours if the changes are implemented.
This would reduce the number of people on call in Scotland from 900 to just 360, the survey suggests.
Kelly Stockdale, a CRO from Berwickshire in Scotland, is leading a #SaveOurService campaign against the proposals.
In a statement, she said: “Every single day, across 19,000 miles of complex UK coastline, CROs answer the shout.
“We leave our families, our beds, and our primary jobs to descend cliff faces, brave rising floodwaters, and track missing and vulnerable persons in all weathers, at all times.
“We are not casual, fair-weather hobbyists. We are highly trained, safety-critical emergency responders.
“As a Category 1 emergency service, we work alongside the police, fire, and ambulance services. Yet, while every other blue-light service remains funded, HM Coastguard is uniquely being degraded.”
The campaign has been backed by unions, including GMB. Lynsay Mackay of GMB Scotland added: “If we want a strong, resilient Coastguard for the future, we must make sure that those who step forward are supported, not penalised.
“If you save lives, you deserve respect. If you carry out work, you deserve rights. And when those rights are threatened, GMB stands with you.”
Scottish MPs have also criticised the MCA’s plans. Brendan O’Hara, MP for Argyll and Bute, called for the government agency to “listen to our coastguard heroes”.
“The MCA’s plan to strip these vitally important volunteers of their pittance of a remuneration will become another huge stumbling block to both the recruiting and retaining of rescue officers in rural areas,” he said.
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