RNLI - commercialisation just around the corner?

[jonjo10]

Has there ever been an equivalent period in the history of the RNLI where HQ management culture pushed so many frontline volunteer crew into career suicide by saucy mug and social media post?

The number of emergency RNLI station closures caused by management breakdown in the past 5 years must be three or more and this will be the tip of the iceberg. RNLI supporters seem content to regurgitate the party line from Poole. We are expected to believe that after decades of volunteering for a dangerous job, suddenly nationwide dozens of these frontline crew have been infected by an inexplicable desire to take lifeboats for indulgent joy rides, or they reject all attempts to train them or worse the minute a schoolchild enters an RNLI station these crew are likely to become pedophiles.

I suspect something far more sinister is afoot than typical British class and regional hostility. Executive job count and pay inflation at RNLI HQ mean they have assembled a cartel of competence. If we exclude incompetence for the current industrial unrest afflicting the RNLI, what is the undisclosed mission objective of that cartel?

I fear that mission is to transpose the RNLI into a full salaried crew emergency service. The strike-busting scab-labour salaried crew dispatched from Poole HQ to Jersey last year is an example of how the RNLI has already taken a first step in this direction.

The commercialized RNLI Baywatch service has given the RNLI elite an appetite for reformation. So how would the RNLI elite go about implementing such an undisclosed plan?

The answer is quite transparent, we are witnessing the preparatory stages of this reformation being played out right now. First they have to provoke a crisis in the 150 year status quo by pushing loyal competent volunteers to extreme levels of frustration, exasperation and ultimately resignation.

What comes next? Within 5 or 10 years I reckon they will use the NHS model of covert privatization. They will announce a trial service commissioning group in a "disorderly" region such as the North East or Merseyside. This commissioning group will be given an annual budget to purchase professionally manned lifeboats. Following that as charity income dries up they will require Government funding but to justify this we will see a change in statute law giving RNLI Plc a monopoly right in the provision or marine rescue and education.

How can this be prevented?

I reckon Ireland is our only hope. If RNLI Ireland declared UDI and the Irish Government used Brixit to leverage one third of the RNLI £ squillions to be transferred to Dublin we would then have a live alternative RNLI model that could demonstrate how an RNLI Lite works and is preferable to RNLI.gov.uk.plc

 

[rotrax]

Whatever are you on about jonjo10

As lifeboat crew, engineers excepted, it is a voluntary job.

Careers dont come in to it in the true sense of the word.

Perhaps a non paid vocation.

Times change, institutions must change with the times.

The RNLI has not, IMHO, made a good job yet of managing this change, but perhaps they have made a better start than the Hollywood film industry.................................

 

[Topcat47]

Whatever are you on about jonjo10

As lifeboat crew, engineers excepted, it is a voluntary job.

Careers dont come in to it in the true sense of the word.

Perhaps a non paid vocation.

Times change, institutions must change with the times.

The RNLI has not, IMHO, made a good job yet of managing this change, but perhaps they have made a better start than the Hollywood film industry.................................

+1 (almost). The professional management within the RNLI have dropped the ball, big time. They must do better to justify their gross salaries (and that's GROSS as in disgusting).

 

[jonjo10]

Whatever are you on about jonjo10

As lifeboat crew, engineers excepted, it is a voluntary job.

Careers dont come in to it in the true sense of the word.

Perhaps a non paid vocation.

Yet another YBW forum member exposing his contempt for the competent working man doing a hands-on front line job.

Do you really believe that someone who turns up at a place of work for decades to perform a demanding job that involves regular training, development of longterm social integration for essential crew operational cohesion and shifts at unsocial hours, does not develop the same emotional dependency on that job as would a paid employee.

When a crew member with multiple decades of commitment to the RNLI resigns in protest over serial provocation originating from Poole, we should all take note and ask why. The answers would be incompatible with the default political thoughts of some here.

 

[rotrax]

Yet another YBW forum member exposing his contempt for the competent working man doing a hands-on front line job.

Do you really believe that someone who turns up at a place of work for decades to perform a demanding job that involves regular training, development of longterm social integration for essential crew operational cohesion and shifts at unsocial hours, does not develop the same emotional dependency on that job as would a paid employee.

When a crew member with multiple decades of commitment to the RNLI resigns in protest over serial provocation originating from Poole, we should all take note and ask why. The answers would be incompatible with the default political thoughts of some here.

My contempt was for your $H1t stirring post, not for the exemplary and sometimes dangerous work the crews take on without pay.

The RNLI management will get it right sometime or pay the price. It is totally in their hands.

I suspect they WILL get it right, but I personally know an RNLI coxwain who almost considers it is his personal boat. He is treading a very thin line between keeping his post and being resigned.

How would YOU deal with a situation like that?

 

[jonjo10]

My contempt was for your $H1t stirring post, not for the exemplary and sometimes dangerous work the crews take on without pay.

No your contempt was for my use of the word "career".

This exposed your own contempt for the working man because you could not perceive any possibility that the unsalaried RNLI oiks who went to sea in a lifeboat could possibly develop an emotional dependency on or pride in the job or experience personal distress when resigning from post in abject frustration with Poole's management culture.

 

[jonjo10]

but I personally know an RNLI coxwain who almost considers it is his personal boat. He is treading a very thin line between keeping his post and being resigned.

How would YOU deal with a situation like that?

Having worked in many large organizations I know that the most effective structures are those that encourage delegation of both authority and responsibility.

I would look at your RNLI coxswain and think "perfect example of delegated authority and responsibility". Then I would move on down the coast and look for a genuine problem to fix.

 

[Habebty]

The RNLI "management" would appear to have done a very good job, judging by the income they manage to rustle up through the volunteer, fundraising, and legacy drives network.
They do realise, I suspect, that there are a lot of crusty old sexist ( but very brave/selfless ) sorts out there that they would rather gradually replace with a more diverse and modern crew, rather than relying on the fishing community, well in the more populous areas perhaps? This would then appeal more to the metro fundraising types.

Obviously, if I was up to my neck in oggin, I wouldn't be questioning the coxswain about his equal rights views

(I'm an Offshore member, and respect for the crews whatever era their personal views hail from.)

 

[jonjo10]

They do realise, I suspect, that there are a lot of crusty old sexist ( but very brave/selfless ) sorts out there that they would rather gradually replace with a more diverse and modern crew, rather than relying on the fishing community, well in the more populous areas perhaps?

You do at least allude to the possibility RNLI HQ is engaged in a program of personnel replacement that is unrelated to capacity to perform the job.

I had an interesting encounter with an HR specialist lawyer a few years ago when assisting someone who had lost a job. When I said "surely a presiding magistrate will see through this and comprehend the essential truth" the lawyer looked bemused for a moment and said this is nothing to do with the truth, what counts is procedural conformance and creating an impression. He went on to explain that employers often call him in and say this is our commercial objective, how do we exploit employment law to achieve this result at least cost. He said alleging theft in the workplace is often the cheapest route for an employer.

 

[mainsail1]

Jonjo, I have sympathy with your view but I don't think anyone would rely on the government to fund the RNLI in the manner that it has now become accustomed. Government is a fickle friend. Rich old ladies are not.
I would add that life goes in cycles and the RNLI is no different. In time sanity will prevail...but it may take ten or fifteen years.

 

[Cheery]

Why do these large charitable organisations, RNLI, RSPCA, NT, get all politicised when they employ highly paid undividuals to oversee what has essentially been done a certain way for decades. If the organisation was badly run previously it would have ceased to exist wouldn't it? Are these individuals making change for the sake of it? Is it a case of them 'proving' that diversity is the way forward? I am sure Doris, 96, wouldn't care what the crew have on their mugs or what they joke about and is happy to leave them £200,000 to carry on the magnificent work they do. Me personally? I am of the opinion that I don't care what views the crew hold, if they're dragging me over the transom by the collar of my lifejacket. Hell, I would probably go and have a drink with them afterwards.

 

[PaulJS]

Why do these large charitable organisations, RNLI, RSPCA, NT, get all politicised when they employ highly paid undividuals to oversee what has essentially been done a certain way for decades. If the organisation was badly run previously it would have ceased to exist wouldn't it? Are these individuals making change for the sake of it? Is it a case of them 'proving' that diversity is the way forward? I am sure Doris, 96, wouldn't care what the crew have on their mugs or what they joke about and is happy to leave them £200,000 to carry on the magnificent work they do. Me personally? I am of the opinion that I don't care what views the crew hold, if they're dragging me over the transom by the collar of my lifejacket. Hell, I would probably go and have a drink with them afterwards.

It seems to me that there are placeholders who feel the need to justify their salaries, and therefore they highlight problems that aren't problematic.. And of course, following that they bring in solutions which don't actually solve anything...

 

[maby]

It's a charity, so terms like "privatisation" really don't apply - it is already privatised with a status somewhat similar to a building society - it could undergo a similar process to many building societies and become a listed company, but that is not privatisation. Also, since it is a charity, we have no right to criticise it - we are not paying for it, so it can do pretty much whatever it wants. Its supporters could withhold their donations and, if enough did, then the board would be forced to take notice.

The alternative would be for the government to set up a publicly owned rescue service - which would almost certainly attract at least as much criticism after a while.

 

[Biggles Wader]

It seems to me that there are placeholders who feel the need to justify their salaries, and therefore they highlight problems that aren't problematic.. And of course, following that they bring in solutions which don't actually solve anything...

Any changes that are taking place in the RNLI are not due to "political correctness", but reflect changes in society in general, very often backed up by legislation.

The mug incident on its own wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. The two crew members were simply asked to take them home. It was what went on after that that caused the problems.

The number of volunteers that have left the service following these recent shenanigans is tiny compared to the natural turnover of crew.
People leave the RNLI for all sorts of reasons, maybe because they change jobs, move away, their family circumstances change, or they reach the maximum age for that particular type of lifeboat. (Sadly, the latter will be ending my own lifeboating career in the not too distant future).

And in any case, many who have left in support of a coxswain, or whoever who has been sacked, have rejoined shortly afterwards when they realise they have backed the wrong horse.

Both the above are right it seems.
There is a legal requirement to protect other workers and visitors from "harm" however that is defined and all big organisations will take that seriously these days but there is also an inevitable mission creep that goes on here. If you employ a manager or a layer of management with a certain remit they will find things to manage in order to justify their appointment. Sometimes that can go beyond what was actually needed by the organisation in the first place and minor issues can get blown up into hugely damaging and serious conflicts.

 

[jonjo10]

It's a charity, so terms like "privatisation" really don't apply

Indeed that is why I chose the word "commercialization". The people employed at RNLI HQ, their personality types, job titles and salaries are now indistinguishable from any other same sized PLC in the UK. Was that the case 30 years ago?

The future commercialization I was alluding to is the delivery of their front line function i.e. lifeboat crew. It is likely to be via salaried crew because I cannot see the volunteer crew ethos of the RNLI surviving the new hostile management culture emanating from Poole HQ or their regional appointed commissars.

 

[Dutch01527]

Why do these large charitable organisations, RNLI, RSPCA, NT, get all politicised when they employ highly paid undividuals to oversee what has essentially been done a certain way for decades.......

I suspect there is a change in demographics of those recruited. In the past for the RNLI there was probabably a fair number of ex navy ( Roayal and Merchant) senior officers who were looking for a shore based job at the tail end of their career. People used to leading sailors and facing adversity.

Now I suspect that many of the recruits are forth sector specialists who tend to be well meaning, liberal and steeped in political correctness.

The difference is the first group would say to the volunteer who steps a bit out of line “ stop taking the ****, that is not on, I expect XXX, OK. Now let’s go and have a beer”

The second group would say “ that contrivines policy which was emailed to you on this date, I will have to write a report and submit it to our Head of diversity and inclusiveness who will write to you with respect to potential disciplinary action. We take these matters very seriously. Can you document all the circumstances leading to this alleged offence and submit it to me by Tuesday”

Sailors tend to be a quirky, resistant to authority and fiercely self reliant. That obviously needs to be managed in a large organisation with national standards. Doing that needs leadership skills that generate respect in those being led. I know a lot of NHS, probation service, social service and fourth sector senior people almost all of whom would incapable of leading sailors. The exception are two ladies who are Directors of Nursing ( Matron’s in old language) who scare the daylights out of me and would be very capable of putting even the most old school coxswain right.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Maybe in an organisation the size of the RNLI, some of the lifeboat crew members are just dickheads and are now being caught out by more effective management. Just because they crew the lifeboats does not mean they are bastions of good conduct.

 

[Juan Twothree]

Maybe in an organisation the size of the RNLI, some of the lifeboat crew members are just dickheads and are now being caught out by more effective management. Just because they crew the lifeboats does not mean they are bastions of good conduct.

you've hit the nail on the head.

 

[Juan Twothree]

I suspect there is a change in demographics of those recruited. In the past for the RNLI there was probabably a fair number of ex navy ( Roayal and Merchant) senior officers who were looking for a shore based job at the tail end of their career. People used to leading sailors and facing adversity.

Now I suspect that many of the recruits are forth sector specialists who tend to be well meaning, liberal and steeped in political correctness.

The difference is the first group would say to the volunteer who steps a bit out of line “ stop taking the ****, that is not on, I expect XXX, OK. Now let’s go and have a beer”

.

The friendly chat still happens, depending on the severity of the alleged misdemeanour.

However, as regards the rest of your post, it's actually a lot more difficult these days to sack crew, because the RNLI has a written formal disciplinary policy, with a right of appeal for the individual concerned.

In the past, any crew member who had done something stupid and dangerous would simply have been told to leave the station, and never return. And that would have been the end of the matter - no Facebook campaigns, no sad faces pictures in the Daily Mail, no online petitions.
Nowadays they are suspended pending an investigation by a manager, and in the meantime they launch a campaign in the press or on social media, whinging about how they've been unfairly treated.

 

[dom]

The friendly chat still happens, depending on the severity of the alleged misdemeanour.

However, as regards the rest of your post, it's actually a lot more difficult these days to sack crew, because the RNLI has a written formal disciplinary policy, with a right of appeal for the individual concerned.

In the past, any crew member who had done something stupid and dangerous would simply have been told to leave the station, and never return. And that would have been the end of the matter - no Facebook campaigns, no sad faces pictures in the Daily Mail, no online petitions.
Nowadays they are suspended pending an investigation by a manager, and in the meantime they launch a campaign in the press or on social media, whinging about how they've been unfairly treated.

Great to have someone with first hand knowledge on the forum.

Do stick around :encouragement: