More than half of Coastguard Rescue Officers across the South say they would be forced to reduce their availability or leave the service altogether if controversial changes to their remuneration go ahead, according to leaked Maritime and Coastguard Agency survey results.
The figures, obtained by the GMB union, suggest the MCA’s own consultation found that 56% of more than 300 Coastguard Rescue Officers who responded would either reduce the hours they volunteer or be unable to continue altogether if payments for attending incidents and mandatory training are withdrawn.
If reflected across the wider service, the findings raise fresh concerns about the Coastguard’s ability to maintain emergency response cover at a time when teams are already warning of recruitment and retention challenges.
The latest development is likely to intensify pressure on the Government and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which have faced mounting criticism over plans to remove the hourly remuneration Coastguard Rescue Officers currently receive for attending incidents and mandatory training.
Earlier this year, Island Echo revealed that Coastguard Rescue Teams are dealing with a significant increase in call-outs, thought to be driven in part by a rise in mental health-related incidents. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has also instructed teams not to publicise such incidents on social media and routinely redacts details from Freedom of Information responses, obscuring the true scale of demand on the service.
Against that backdrop of rising demand, concerns have continued to grow over the future resilience of HM Coastguard. Serving Coastguard Rescue Officers have warned that removing the modest payments they receive for attending incidents and mandatory training could force experienced volunteers to reduce their commitment or leave the service altogether.
The proposed changes follow a Court of Appeal ruling in a legal case brought by former Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Officer Martin Groom, who served for 35 years before being removed from the service in 2020. The judgment found Coastguard Rescue Officers are workers in law, prompting the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to end the payments rather than retain them under the existing arrangements.
Last week, Isle of Wight East MP Joe Robertson took serving Coastguard Rescue Officers to Westminster to urge ministers to reconsider the decision, warning that removing the payments risks driving experienced volunteers away and creating a public safety issue.
Nicola Savage, GMB National Officer, has said:
“These cruel cuts are going to rip the heart out of a life saving emergency service millions of people rely on.
“Coastguards across the UK risk their own lives to keep us safe – the very least they should expect is paying for their time and expenses.
“If the MCA pushes ahead with these unprecedented cuts, the Coastguard that has protected us for more than 200 years could cease to exist as we know it.”
