Thursday - So what ?

[Woodentop]

On Thursday 6 March the Coastguards will be out on strike.
Earlier Post

As far as I can tell, of the 18 MRCC (and London) around the country only Aberdeen and Shetland will be running (but I may be wrong).

This will have no effect most of us since we will all be at our desks.(Earning money to rent the hole in the water that our boat sits in).

However, if the next strike day is Easter Weekend - Lots of boats out. The usual simple problems,
a. The Sunsail "Widowmaker" gybing mainsheet.
b. The "Run out of fuel and I cannot sail back in time for my restaurant booking"
c. The diver-rapid-ascent and a case of the "bends"
d. The anglers cut off by the tide
e. The heart attack that is saved by fast evacuation
f. The MOB from over enthusiastic early season racers
g. The climber who falls from the sea-cliff.

If you make cars and you go on strike then the result is that cars are not made.
If you dig coal and you go strike then coal is not dug.

But if you coordinate search and rescue and you go on strike then search and rescue is not coordinated.

So I ask ; What is the correct number that should die because of the strike ? What is the number that the risk assessors have put upon this ? What is the number that the agency will respond to ?

Too few - It proves that Coastguards are not needed.
Too many - It proves that they were irresponsible to strike.

We hope the answer is none but if lives are important then can their efforts, skills and knowledge be recognised ?

 

[pvb]

[ QUOTE ]
However, if the next strike day is Easter Weekend - Lots of boats out.

[/ QUOTE ]That's an interesting point - so why didn't the PCS union call the strike for 23 March instead of 6 March?

 

[chanelyacht]

I would imagine they picked a week strike day so as not to lose public support.

Action could always be stepped up if the MCA maintain their ridiculous position.

It may well be that the MCA's plan is to man a couple of MRCCs with managers who do not plan to strike, and simply route VHF aerials into those centres. With the ICCS system this is simple to do, you may often now not be talking to the MRCC you think you are from the callsign being used.

That way, distress/999 calls could be handled, and coordinated in a limited way, but the routine stuff (MSIs, Dover CNIS, etc) would fall by the wayside. And of course the people handling an incident would have no local knowledge - in one district for example there are 18 Penrhyn's!

(BTW, I don't work for the MCA, but do know closely how they operate).

The CGs are only striking because they have, over a period of years, been backed into this corner and even the independant reviews of their pay have been ignored - same as this govt. did with the police pay deal. It may be time for senior management to learn you reap what you sow!

 

[ronsurf]

Thank goodness the RNLI is independent of the government!

 

[Sans Bateau]

Coastguards deserve good pay they do a grand job, they also need all the support they can get.

This of course this could apply to any public funded employee who deserves better pay.


Oh! I've just thought of one group who dont deserve more money.....









....MP's!

 

[ToMo]

Yes but haven't you noticed, they are always the first in line to get more !

 

[Peegee]

Local auxiliary rescue teams have been asked to give time to man channel 16 watch, they can then get lifeboats launched or attend to their own cliff/mud/search duties. Would worry about a full scale co-ordination though.

 

[alldownwind]

I'm on a CG team in the Thames area and I have been told that the MRCC will be operating tomorrow.

 

[bdsweeting]

[ QUOTE ]

Too few - It proves that Coastguards are not needed.
Too many - <span style="color:red">It proves that they were irresponsible to strike. </span>

[/ QUOTE ]

You should say that the management is irresponsible to allow this situation to arise.

I am not a CG but believe that they are grossly underpaid for the task that they perform.

Remember that the UK are legally obliged to provide CG cover so it should be properly funded.

I can't quote facts and figures or set examples because this Government seems to like underfunding anything that is important to this country.

 

[pvb]

What I can't understand is why there seems to be no problem recruiting coastguards. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif