22 April, 2008

SHETLAND Coastguard are once again limiting their involvement with national strike action for better pay in order to maintain rescue operations in the northern isles.

A fortnight ago the Shetland coastguard station limited themselves to a week long work to rule, while around half of the UK’s 19 coastguard stations staged a 24 hour strike.

A similar strike starts on Wednesday night this week, but once again Shetland officers will respond to any emergency call outs.

The local coastguard believe they are too remote to be able to call on a neighbouring service to provide cover if they downed tools.

The search and rescue service is fighting for an improved pay offer to take them to the same level as other emergency services.

Chief negotiator with the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), Paul Smith, said yesterday (Monday) that no progress had been made in the dispute, despite the involvement of the arbitration service ACAS. “There is no offer on the table from management,” he said.

Shop stewards will be meeting in early May to discuss stepping up the industrial action. Meanwhile coastguard officers nationwide will maintain their work to rule, which involves refusing to record incidents on the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s national database.