The chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) faces a formal vote of no confidence following plans to stop remuneration payments to lifesaving volunteers.
The vote of no confidence comes after plans to stop paying volunteer coastguards were dropped.
The MCA sought to move its coastguard rescue teams to an expenses-only volunteer model. Currently, coastguard rescue officers (CROs) are paid an hourly rate during callouts, but the MCA wanted to scrap those payments to classify them as volunteers. However, the Government said the plans would be dropped after fears it could see swathes of officers stop working with the service.
Government drops expenses-only model
Transport minister Keir Mather said he had listened to the views of CROs and that a move to an expenses-only model would not go ahead. It came after a Court of Appeal verdict saw the MCA say it would move to a “revised volunteer model”, after a judge ruled against it over whether coastguard members are volunteers or paid workers. They are officially volunteers but can claim about £11 an hour for callouts or training.
Mr Mather also refused to say he had confidence in the chief executive of the MCA, Virginia McVea, when given the opportunity to do so by shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew. Mr Mather said he wanted to get any replacement system “right”.
Speaking in the Commons, he said: “We want to ensure that CROs are treated with dignity, with respect and they are empowered to carry out the incredible duties that they do. Having listened to the views and testimonies of CROs first hand, I can confirm that they move to the expenses-only volunteer model in September will not go ahead, and that current arrangements will remain in place.”
Union expresses lack of confidence
Now, in a letter to Lord Simon Stevens, Chair of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Board, GMB union's coastguard members wrote to formally express their lack of confidence in the leadership of the MCA under Chief Executive Virginia McVea.
The coastguards also called on the board to undertake an independent review of the concerns, including: a perceived failure to adequately engage with and listen to the experiences and concerns of CROs; insufficient transparency in decision-making processes affecting frontline personnel; a culture in which legitimate concerns raised by CROs are not addressed in a timely or meaningful manner; decisions and policies that have negatively affected morale, recruitment, retention, and confidence within Coastguard Rescue Teams; and concerns regarding leadership accountability and responsiveness to issues raised by frontline operational personnel.
Nicola Savage, GMB National Officer, said: "These workers are the face of HM Coastguard in communities across the United Kingdom. They give their time, skills, and commitment to save lives across the country. But they need to feel backed to the hilt by the MCA and, under Ms McVea's stewardship, they don't. Given the farce of the remuneration payments, coastguards feel a fresh start is the only way to reinstate that trust."
