Unite has hit out at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s refusal to formally recognise the union at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre in East Cowes, amid plans to close the site.
Staff at the charity’s Isle of Wight-based centre have been calling for Unite recognition at their workplace after the RNLI announced last year that it was considering closing the facility and putting their jobs at risk, as previously reported by Island Echo.
However, after Unite formally wrote to the RNLI earlier this month asking for recognition, the organisation responded by saying this was not needed as there was already a works council in place. This argument does not stand up legally, as a works council does not undertake the independent collective bargaining or negotiation, which can only be done by a trade union.
Sharon Graham, General Secretary at Unite, has said:
“At a time where workers at the RNLI’s Inshore Lifeboat Centre need union recognition more than ever, their employer is denying them the fundamental right to be represented by an independent union. their basic rights to negotiation and bargaining.
“This is totally unacceptable and Unite will not stand for it. The RNLI must listen to its staff and allow them to have their voices heard collectively.”
There are around 70 workers at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre. These highly skilled members of staff supply and maintain lifeboats for over half of the 238 stations run by the charity across the UK and the majority of them are Unite members.
The RNLI has said it is looking to consolidate its lifeboat manufacturing into one site, its Support Centre in Poole, from the end of 2027, which would mean job losses. The Inshore Lifeboat Centre employs around 70 staff at present.
Unite is now set to begin the formal legal process to recognise the union, going through the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) asking for statutory recognition.
Jamie Major, Regional Co-ordinating Officer for Unite, says:
“It is deeply disappointing that an organisation such as the RNLI is choosing to go down this route of refusing to recognise Unite and deploying tactics to avoid giving its hardworking staff a voice.
“Unite has no choice but to begin the formal legal process to ensure our members have proper representation and leverage over what happens to their jobs, pay and conditions – especially given the current situation which has left these workers with huge uncertainty around their futures.”
In response, a spokesperson for the RNLI has said:
“Our staff at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre (ILC) are currently in consultation, providing them with the opportunity to submit counter proposals, ask questions and share their voice.
“The RNLI have carefully considered the request from Unite. In doing so, the charity took into account its existing support forum for staff which is involved and helping staff from the ILC. This forum, known as Channel, is a recognised body for the purpose for redundancy consultation, and we have an Information and Consultation agreement (ICE) with Channel.
“An additional specific ILC staff forum has been created which has been set up for the ILC team during which they have been fully involved in the consultation process including, by way of an example, deciding on the length of consultation and when it should start. While we are rejecting the request from Unite, any RNLI staff from the ILC who are members can be accompanied by Unite at any forthcoming individual meetings.”
As far as the workers are concerned “channel” who are employed and paid for by the very people who are trying to close the place, have no incentive to fight for the little person.
The ILC forum is only going to work if the management listens, which they are notoriously terrible at.
Absolutely. Constitutes a conflict of interests. Might just as well be called ‘Management Spokespeople’.
Try asking if the Poole plant has Unite recognition.
Well I certainly view the RNLI in a different light now and will be withdrawing my support and donations immediately until this disgraceful policy is changed by their equally disgraceful management. What have you got to hide that you don’t want a union to see, I wonder?
They’ve been wanting to close cowes for 40 years..it’s a shame its a great place to work,some have been there 40 odd years and many 20 years plus.But i fear now it will go.
I thought they were all volunteers, why do they need a union.
The crews are mostly voluntary.
The factories that make the boats employ skilled labour Like any other boat yard