Another Coastguard Strike

[jimbaerselman]

I understand the point of view of the employees who choose to remain. They feel that the terms of service are poor for the job they do - especially when those have been changed from when they joined.

The market place doesn't seem to agree. A 10% - 15% loss rate over the first two years would be seen as very good in the private sector. I don't know about the public sector. But since MCA appear to have no difficulty recruiting to replace these losses, it looks as though the terms of service are set roughly right. Yes, there's a 'lost training effort' cost. There always is in every field of employment.

It's worth bearing in mind that any firm/employer whose industrial relations are seen as bad (strikes) will ultimately have more difficulty recruiting. Their cost of labour will then increase. In the private sector this tendency will be limited by competition - no point in putting the firm out of business.

In the public sector there's no such natural check, so it will always pay a powerful union to rattle the cage, even if that destroys relations, since then more cash will to be paid to recruit new staff. Union members will gain. Tax payers will suffer. Eventually, customers will also suffer due to worse relations between management and staff. Witness the lack of initiative and co-operation by BA junior staff in trying to solve BA's terminal 5 problems (I know, private sector, but strongly unionised - ex public sector!).

Ah well.

I'm sympathetic. But cynical, too. In these matters there are many manipulators around, each with their own agendas.

 

[Scotsnomad]

Just to show how bad the pay is for the staff, a Coast Rescue Officer (Volunteer) is paid £1 more than the CWA grade, this shows how well the MCA think of its staff.

We also have a CEO (Chief Exec) who does little to help the situation by making adverse comments such as 'Communications workers' which was recently posted in Lloyds and Im sure that this did little to impress the Mariners at Sea who might well have been left wondering if we were suitable qualified to undertake Search and Rescue (SAR)

Since the last day of action by the Coastguard neither the MCA nor the Government have made any moves or attempted to enter into discussions to resolve the situation. In fact the Shipping Minister Ruth Kelly has not even raised the ongoing problems in Parliament.... Yet the day after we mentioned further industrial action dates they contacted the PCS for further discussions.....As yet I have not received any information or feedback on this meeting but I hope to today. No doubt it was a further request by the MCA to help out in contingency plans for covering the 11th and 23/24th

How do you think we feel when the MCA ask the Union to assist in covering the staff shortages during the strike, it shows the nerve of the MCA (Imagine going on strike only to cover it ourselves - think one could call that shooting ourselves in the foot).

The pay parity for the Coastguard staff would cost the DFT between £3.5m to £2.1m, so as you can see its not a massive amount however because Tony, Gordon and their cronies want their shopping paid for, their televisions licences paid and to be able to employ their relatives whilst manipulating the system we have to run on a low salary.

I have been in HM Coastguard for 18 years now, I have accepted all changes, all new working practices, all new work, and all new technology without any reward or demands. My style of work has evolved into new areas that when I first joined I would never have thought we would be doing. In the last 4 years my annual increase has been in the region of 1 to 1.2 pct which in real terms means that throught inflation etc my wage has dropped in real terms and yet they still expect us to be 'happy' well sorry but I gave up sniffing UHU years ago lol......

Recruitment isnt the problem, its retention. The years training to become a CWA does cost a lot, its a specialised field unlike most private sector jobs. We have to learn Met, Search planning, GMDSS, Pollution and a vast amount of other fields Im sorry but the private sector doesnt reflect upon this when training staff (Not meant in the bad way)

The Coastguard arm of the PCS Union have never taken industrial action prior to this dispute and therefore cant be classed as Unionised or militant (As I have heard) we have struggled long and hard, tried out every possible avenue, attended every meeting, have three pay awards imposed upon us and then finally reached the conclusion that we need to stand up and say enough is enough. We really didnt want to take this action however we were left with no other course of action to take.

Slainte Mhath

 

[jonjo]

Jim I think it is time to drop the free market solves everything outlook. Look at the national waste of time and effort that constitutes the "free market" delivery of Gas and Electricity in the UK. Since the UK has rediscovered the need for nuclear power stations we are going to have to buy them off the French because Thatcherite free market reforms destroyed any concept of national interest in power generation.

The MCA might well be able to fill posts at current salary levels but how do we assess the quality of these people using your free market measures? Tesco checkout girls might well consider a coast guard job as a good career move, actually listening to Solent Coastguard at the weekend I think this process is already well under way.

 

[webcraft]

[ QUOTE ]
Jim I think it is time to drop the free market solves everything outlook.

[/ QUOTE ] Hear hear. How anyone can believe this when governments are bailing out banks right left and centre is beyond me.

Anyway, please keep this sort of discussion to the Lounge.

FWIW, I think the CG are a magnificent service and fully support their strike action.

- W