UK set to push on with dropping hourly fee for coastguard volunteers

Maritime minister Keir Mather said in a Commons debate on Wednesday that the “risks” around worker status remain “irrespective” of when the cut off happens.

Coastguard volunteers are paid £11 an hour for callouts but, just months after a landmark employment tribunal secured them worker status, the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) has warned the payments will be stopped in September.

In response to the ruling, the MCA said it will move to a "revised volunteer model", with volunteers no longer paid by the hour but able to claim compensation for some activites while receiving training, equipment and uniforms.

SNP MP for Argyll and Bute Brendan O’Hara urged Mr Mather to push back the date at which the volunteers will no longer be paid.

He said during the debate: “The minister knows that these changes are due to come in in September.

“He will be aware of the feeling across this house and the opposition to these changes.

“The Department of Transport does have the power to suspend this and it does not have to take place.

“Will he therefore take that opportunity to suspend this to allow for meaningful negotiations to take place rather than bulldozing this through?”

Read more: Dozens of MSPs demand rethink in coastguard payment row amid warning lives are being put at risk

Mr Mather said he would continue engaging with coastguard officers and trade unions on the matter.

He added: “Those risks that I've just outlined around worker status exist now, and I think that is an important thing to consider ahead of any implementation date, irrespective of whether it was in September or later in the year or at some other point.”

Worker status “could push CROs into new tax brackets or put them in breach of primary employment contracts if they are not allowed to undertake other paid work,” Mr Mather earlier said.

He continued: “These threats to people continuing as CROs are the ones we have been working hard and expressly to avoid, so this judgment has clarified the law, and the law must now be upheld.”

It comes after 53 MSPs wrote to the UK Government calling for it to pause the move.

Read more: Coastguard's decision to stop paying brave volunteers is dangerous and cannot stand

A station officer at one of Scotland’s island coastguard stations has told The Scotsman of their fears for the future of the service if payments to team members are ended.

They said: “Many have told me that this decision will either reduce their ability to respond or they will very reluctantly have to resign.

“People might say that the RNLI and Mountain Rescue do it for free, but they have a completely different model.

"I have the greatest respect for them and have frequently worked alongside, but they are charities and not a UK Government-funded category one emergency service.

“Their teams can be as many as 40 and not all are trained to the same level. They rely on the high numbers to get a reasonable size team out in a shout. I have far fewer people, all trained to the same high level.”

The added: “Most of the team have more than ten years of service and all of them are employed or self employed. The £11 an hour helps offset the time off as we still need to pay the bills and mortgage. We don’t do it for the money, but the money helps us do it.

“We have been the silent service and feel very undervalued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Most people don’t know what we do or who we are.

“Some incidents can last for days. During bad weather, we very often are the only emergency service available - no police, ambulance or helicopter, just us.

“I’ve recovered dead bodies, rescued people from sinking vessels, dealt with serious injuries on cruise ships and yachts and assisted with countless helicopter evacuations, missing person searches and washed-up Second World War ordnance.

“It’s not easy as an islander to take time off work to deal with these incidents. Sometimes during the summer there can be three callouts in a week.”