Workers at the Isle of Wight’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Inshore Lifeboat Centre will take industrial action as the charity is still failing to offer improvements to a redundancy package for Unite members, despite weeks of negotiations.
Last month, the RNLI stated it would close the Inshore Lifeboat Centre by 2028, which would cause job losses and have a huge impact on the local community and local marine industry, and would only build lifeboats in Poole, Dorset, instead.
Talks between conciliatory body ACAS and the RNLI broke down, after the RNLI said it would not offer any enhancement on the redundancy payments due to the ‘generous’ relocation allowance it has offered to staff.
However, for most workers at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre, relocating to Poole, a more expensive area, from the island isn’t feasible for their finances or their families.
The union is calling on the RNLI to negotiate a fair package for these workers that will be made redundant after the organisation promised them a ‘job for life’.
The workforce in East Cowes do a highly skilled role supplying and maintaining lifeboats for over half of the 238 stations run by the RNLI across the UK.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
“The behaviour of the RNLI throughout this dispute has been a complete disgrace. While our members face uncertainty about their futures, it has refused to engage meaningfully with the union.
Article continues below this advertisement “Expecting workers to relocate to a completely new area, without any financial renumeration or thought as to the impact on their personal lives is completely unfair. Our members must be supported by their employer.
“This dispute can be easily avoided by the RNLI, but it relies on it changing tack and negotiating with Unite. Our members continue to have the union’s full backing.”
Workers at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre will strike on 11th, 19th and 25th August. There will be a series of planned actions, including workers going to East Cowes to ask businesses and travellers at the ferry port to support Unite’s petition.
In January, Unite started the formal legal process to recognise the union, going through the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to ask for statutory recognition after the RNLI refused to grant this.
Unite has now signed a recognition agreement at the RNLI, making it the formally recognised union for negotiating on jobs, pay and conditions.
Unite regional officer Jamie Major said:
“Our members have had no choice but to take strike action, after receiving a strong mandate for industrial action, following the RNLI’s refusal to negotiate better redundancy terms.
“The time for the RNLI’s avoidance tactics and management putting their heads in the sand is over. The RNLI needs to do the right thing and give these workers, their families and the community the respect they deserve.”
