Will they strike?

Cornishman

Cornishman

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I have just heard at 1330hrs on our local BBC Spotlight news that the Coastguards are threatening to strike over a less than 2.5% pay offer.
The union rep at Brixham claims that some officers are responding to distress calls and answering 999 phone calls for the minimum legal wage and strike action is being contemplated.
 
Fair dues to them, why should they risk their lives for minium wage when some folk get minium wage to serve up pints in a nice warm pub?
I feel every boater in Britian should go out, in support of them, in a show of appreciation for the excellent job they do.
 
As your profile is pretty sparse I don't know where you are. The RNLI in this country do much of what you say for no recompense, but they don't usually react until asked by the Coastguard.
On the other hand the Coastguards, in the main, are those in Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centres/Sub Centres answering radio or telephone distress calls and then coordinating the rescue.
Before I get shot down, I am aware that there are Coastguard teams in rescue boats, cliff rescues and in helicopters etc. but it is not those about whom my post was concerned.
I am interested to know how your rescue services find out that you are in the s**t, as you put it.
 
If in MRCC isn't the argument about "skill"? I believe the skill and knowledge required must be much higher than that to fry MacDonalds chips... 1p above minimum wage is a scandal
 
I agree,it is a scandal and a disgrace .

The CG officers are skilled proffesionalls working unsociable hours with huge responsibility .


Give them the pay and respect they deserve .
 
Apparently some staff had to have a pay rise of one penny to bring their salary up to the new minimum wage. How ridiculous is that??
 
Had a look at last year's statistics:- Coastguards co-ordinated
over 17,000 Incidents, almost 5,000 people rescued from life threatening situations and over 23,000 others assisted. Without experienced Coastguards in operation rooms around the country doing a very difficult job I dread to think what these totls would be!!
 
How many on minimum wage?

I'm confused by all this talk of minimum legal wage. How many coastguards are actually on this minimum wage? The news reports talk of minimum wage in the context of a "basic coastguard" or a "coastguard watch assistant" - are there many of these? If you look at the 2007 MCA Annual Report, the MCA has around 1200 staff paid a total of around £31million in wages and salaries. On average, that's about £26K a year, rather higher than minimum wage. And they get an index-linked final salary Civil Service pension. There's also mention of 3500 "volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers" - do they get paid anything?
 
Re: How many on minimum wage?

I think that you would probably find that the charming and very efficient lady watch officer on the other end of your distress call does shift work, with long and often unsociable hours, and probably for a salary of around GBP 12k per annum.
The average wage paid by the MCA is probably boosted by the salaries paid to those higher up - for instance an MCA surveyor could very easily be earning 40k a year.
 
Re: How many on minimum wage?

OK, if we accept that the surveyors are paid more, how many surveyors are there? Bet they don't have 600 (50% of headcount). So it comes back to the question, how many coastguards are actually on minimum wage?
 
Re: How many on minimum wage?

I believe that new entrants at Watch Assistant level are on mininum wage and like the rest of the duty watch do 2 x 12 hour days followed by 2 x 12 hour nights. We get the same service from whatever grade takes our Mayday call 365 days a year. Don't you feel that they deserve the same pay as counterparts in Police.Fire or Ambulance control rooms who after allocating the job take little part in the incident. Coastguards have to carry out and co-ordinate incidents to the end whatever the outcome.
 
Re: How many on minimum wage?

[ QUOTE ]
............ There's also mention of 3500 "volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers" - do they get paid anything?........

[/ QUOTE ]
These are the people who do the actual rescuing or whatever, as opposed to the full-time staff in the MRCCs.
We (I am one) get paid minimum wage for when we are called out - minimum 3 hours.
 
Maybe...

Maybe you're right that it's the Coastguard Watch Assistants who are on close to minimum wage. As far as I can see, there are perhaps only 200 of these, they're mainly new recruits (say within 12/18 months of joining), they are always supervised, they don't require any formal qualifications or experience to join.

The PCS union has used the entry-level pay of Watch Assistants to present an emotive case for coastguard pay. All this mention of minimum wage conveniently omits any mention of shift allowances (it seems that an extra 25% shift allowance is paid). Nor is there any mention of other allowances in the pay structure, such as "typing allowance" or "skill supplement". Nothing's said about the free uniforms, or the 30 days paid holiday a year (plus the 10.5 days public and privilege holidays). And there's no mention of their index-linked final salary Civil Service pension scheme.
 
Re: Maybe...

Interesting you mention the 25% shift allowance. I have worked unsociable shifts most of my working life.Not only does it wreck your social life it also puts your health a t risk and shortens your life expectancy.

Cor minimum wage plus 25% I bet they all spend Xmas in a 5 star hotel in the bahamas .Except of course that half of them will be on duty /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Fair dues to them, why should they risk their lives for minium wage when some folk get minium wage to serve up pints in a nice warm pub?


[/ QUOTE ]
Try working in a pub in Liverpool city center at this time of year.
That really is risking your life for minimum wage!!

Rob
 
Re: Maybe...

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting you mention the 25% shift allowance. I have worked unsociable shifts most of my working life.Not only does it wreck your social life it also puts your health a t risk and shortens your life expectancy.

Cor minimum wage plus 25% I bet they all spend Xmas in a 5 star hotel in the bahamas .Except of course that half of them will be on duty /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
I dont think he is trying to say they are loaded or they dont do a very important job but it is quite annoying when people say we are on minimum wage... providing you ignore all our enhancements.


Rob
 
Re: Maybe...

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe you're right that it's the Coastguard Watch Assistants who are on close to minimum wage. As far as I can see, there are perhaps only 200 of these, they're mainly new recruits (say within 12/18 months of joining), they are always supervised, they don't require any formal qualifications or experience to join.

The PCS union has used the entry-level pay of Watch Assistants to .....

[/ QUOTE ],....

No, not new recruits. It was after a years training and passing their exams that they found themselves having to be given a pay rise on 1 Oct to keep their pay at the National Minimum. (If you fail the exams you are out).

As to supervision - that would be the Watch Officer on about 6.80 per hour. (and on many shifts that is the senior person present)
 
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