21 July, 2008

COASTGUARD officers in Lerwick were maintaining the same work to rule they have kept to throughout the current industrial action over pay over the weekend.

Nationally coastguard officers began a 48 hour strike from 8pm on Friday in a stepping up of their campaign for an improved settlement to bring them in line with other emergency service workers.

On Friday Shetland News reported that Lerwick officers would only respond to “life or death” situations, after speaking to local staff.

However in the early hours of yesterday morning (Sunday) they did help co-ordinate assistance for a Norwegian yacht lost off Sumburgh (see separate story).

A coastguard officer told Shetland News: “I don’t know where you got your information from but as normal throughout this dispute, we are answering all calls, emergency or routine, certainly not only when it's a matter of life and death.”