A significant legal battle that began in a Coastguard station on the Isle of Wight has triggered a seismic shift in employment law, with the Court of Appeal ruling that thousands of Coastguard Rescue Officers are in fact workers – not volunteers.
The ruling, handed down by the Court of Appeal today (Monday), confirms that Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) across the UK who receive payment for their time are legally entitled to worker status under UK law. This affects around 3,100 ‘volunteers’ nationwide.
It follows a failed appeal by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), who sought to overturn a previous tribunal loss in a case brought by former Bembridge Station Officer Martin Groom.
That attempt has now been comprehensively thrown out with Lords Bean, Popplewell and Stuart-Smith dismissing the appeal.
In a judgment that could reshape how emergency volunteers are treated nationwide, the Court of Appeal has upheld that a contract exists between CROs and HM Coastguard where remuneration is involved – making them workers in the eyes of the law, despite being labelled volunteers.
Martin Groom’s case began after he was removed from his post in 2020 without the opportunity for union representation. He had served the Isle of Wight community for over 30 years, leading the Bembridge team and responding to countless emergencies around the coast.
To challenge his dismissal under the Employment Relations Act, Mr Groom needed to prove he was more than just a volunteer. That argument, first vindicated at tribunal, has now been cemented at the highest level.
This final ruling impacts an estimated 3,100 Coastguard Rescue Officers across the country – and could ripple across other emergency and voluntary sectors that rely on a similar pay-per-call model.
It also casts new light on major changes announced by the MCA just months after losing the original tribunal…
As exclusively revealed by Island Echo in September, HM Coastguard is embarking on the biggest operational shake-up in its history with the Coastguard Response Programme. It is understood up to 600 full-time officers are to be recruited and embedded within every one of the UK’s 300 Coastguard Rescue Teams – including Bembridge, Needles and Ventnor here on the Isle of Wight.
However, HM Coastguard say the programme is not in direct response to the Court of Appeal, and remains under development.
The service is dealing with a growing number of mental health-related incidents across coastal areas, which are often ‘covered up’ through a lack of social media posting and reactions in Freedom of Information requests.
The MCA have not said whether existing CROs will be offered full-time positions or how the legal ruling will factor into its plans.
Today’s landmark decision now forces the MCA to reckon with the new legal reality: those who protect the coastline are not just volunteers – they are workers, with rights and protections that must be respected. As such, the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has sent a pre-recorded video to workers updating them on the situation.
Martin Groom’s victory marks the end of a years-long fight for recognition that began quietly on the Isle of Wight and has now rewritten the rules for Coastguard operations nationwide.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has told Island Echo:
“Volunteers in HM Coastguard play a vital role in the UK’s national emergency response. We deeply value and recognise the significant service they provide along our coastline, ensuring the safety of the public across the entire UK.
“We are currently reviewing the implications of this judgment for both our volunteers and the organisation as a whole.”
