Coastguard rescue officers have raised fears that a planned pay cut to the service could put lives at risk. Currently paid £11 per hour for callouts at any time of day or night to assist people in difficulty at sea, on cliffs, or along the coastline, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) intends to stop these payments. This follows a Court of Appeal ruling that deemed rescue officers to be workers rather than volunteers, entitling them to more rights. The MCA plans to move them to a new volunteer model instead.
Impact on Rescue Officers and Local Knowledge
Dr Kelly Stockdale, from Eyemouth, who has served as a coastguard rescue officer for two years, warned that the move could endanger lives. “We're really worried that there hasn't been a full risk assessment so they're unsure what the actual impact will be,” she said. “What we do know is that for many coastguard rescue officers they will be unable to continue if the proposals do go ahead.”
She explained that removing remuneration would effectively ask people to work completely voluntarily without any payment. “For people who are leaving their homes, their beds, their families, leaving their work to go and do this work, that becomes less feasible when there is no remuneration offered. It's a small amount of remuneration, we don't do it for the money, but the money is what enables us to do it so without that enabler we will really struggle.”
Potential Loss of Experienced Personnel
Dr Stockdale emphasised that any loss to the team would have a “real big impact” because of the combined knowledge within each team. “We've got some people who have worked in that role for over 20 years who really know that area. Their local knowledge is the thing we rely on that keeps us safe and allows us to do our job. If someone is calling for help we want to be there as quickly as possible. The sea doesn't wait for people, the tide is still coming in, any delay for neighbouring teams to have to come to fill those spaces that would be too long of a wait.”
Political and Campaigner Response
Dr Stockdale was among campaigners who gathered in Parliament on Wednesday to protest the change. Tory MP Joe Robertson argued that coastguard rescue officers should be paid “properly” for their vital work. “This is a service that saves lives. Now if you threaten that service by reducing the number of people who work in it, then the obvious conclusion is lives will be put at risk,” he said.
MCA Statement on the New Volunteer Model
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson stated: “After careful consideration, we are moving the Coastguard Rescue Service to a revised volunteer model, to best protect the future of the service. This decision follows a legal judgment, which means we need to change how the service operates. This is not something we wanted to do but is a consequence of the Court of Appeal ruling. This new model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to volunteer alongside their primary employment.
“We deeply value and recognise the significant service Coastguard Rescue Officers provide along our coastline, and we will be supporting them during this transition. The Coastguard Rescue Service will continue to maintain a robust, effective search and rescue response, ensuring the highest quality of service and levels of safety.”
