10th JULY - MPs & LORDS JOIN THE FIGHT
Remember last Friday – late announcement there was to be a pause in the ATM meetings: Life-saving coastguards given glimmer of hope ‘cruel’ pay plans may be ditched.
We must remember the stress everyone was feeling about those sessions and what they would contain?
And now we are back here again – latest is the backdated pay award has been paused?! And we have to ask why? And to what purpose. We are 7 months now working with worker status and the legal protections that this provides. But still not being paid minimum wages. And still not being given the detail of the backdated pay settlement – does it include on-station training, maternity /paternity, sick pay, death in service etc?
What is getting more and more clear is that the MCA have been aware of the issues around worker/employment status for at least a decade. So why the long wait for us now when they have had so long to get their ducks in a row?
Top news of the week that broke on Monday and has ran all week with National and Local coverage is – the MCA ‘survey 2’ data DID NOT SHOW THIS WAS SOMETHING CROs WANTED.
If we went to a worker model then 11% of CROs would have to reduce their availability or quit. If we went to the volunteer + expenses model then 44% of CROs would have to reduce their availability or quit.
KEY POINTS
1.
These figures are conservative – we know about issues with the survey design (Questions were leading using MCA’s own definitions/translations of the worker/volunteer model. And lack of anonymity etc).
2.
This is the MCAs own data. They have these survey results and they still told MPs and Ministers that the volunteer model was the best, and what we wanted.
3.
Natural turnover amongst CROs is 8%, that means the service has resilience for a loss but that’s no where close to 44%. However, for us even an 11% loss is significant (and why GMB will be arguing for a hybrid model or something else that takes this 11% into consideration). We know some areas struggle to recruit. Every CRO brings skills and knowledge to the role. We are campaigning with the aim that ALL of us will be there together at the end.
4.
44% per cent – this is the national average, some over 50% - is a catastrophic loss.
If you are on the fence, or you think ‘I can do this without remuneration’ it is really important that you look at your team. Look at the long-serving members and their years of knowledge, skills, and experience and then ask ‘I can do this without remuneration – but can I do this without them?’.
And if you can’t then you need to join us and stand up and fight for the service: https://sos-crs.co.uk/gmb/
Key Readings are here:
Guardian Article | The Times Article
MPs, Ministers, and Lords are overwhelmingly on our side – across all parties and representing all areas. They were scathing towards the MCA, and there was huge support for us to unionise with GMB. There’re too many good parts of these debates for me to capture or to try to distil but it is worth a listen if you can (lots of clips across our social media).
House of Commons Debate – Wed 8th July | House of Lords Debate – Wed 8th July
NEXT STEPS
We continue to organise and campaign. There is rolling press coverage, there are various events, Union Reps will be in place by the end of next week.
NEXT EVENTS
Durham Big Meeting – meet this Saturday 11th July 8am Durham Market Place
Next Teams Meeting 6-7pm Tuesday 14th July
APPG Evidence Session – House of Commons Wednesday 15th July – CROs from across our nations will be in attendance.
22rd – 26th July – coordinated activity within your local area. This is being coordinated through the GMB WhatsApp group.
FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND
If you are thinking ‘I can do the CRO role without remuneration’ it is really important that you look at your team. Look at the long-serving members and their years of knowledge, skills, and experience and then ask ‘I can do this without remuneration – but can I do this without them?’
This week the MCA’s own data showed that nearly 50% of CROs will reduce their availability or leave the service if we move to a volunteer plus expenses model.
I haven’t even had space to talk in detail about the expose on MCA culture of bullying and control: The Scotsman | The Spectator
Many CROs are now realising the issue is not about remuneration, and that the new proposals = a significant loss of workers rights. Rights that allow us to be unionised and have representation at grievances, rights that protect whistleblowing, rights that support us to have a fair and safe workplace.
Thanks to the work of some CROs and the GMB union we have significant public and political pressure that a pause is looking likely.
What comes next is what counts. We need the pause to be formally agreed (and we don’t stop campaigning until it is). Then negotiations begin. This group was set up to support us to collectively bargain – collective bargaining is a formal process of negotiation between an employer and a group of employees. The MCA will start negotiating with the GMB who are the trade union that are representing CROs – we have 710 CROs signed up as members in just 40 days.
If you want to be part of that negotiation, if you want a set at the table – join GMB today: https://sos-crs.co.uk/gmb/
Finally, if you are new to these discussions – welcome! Or if you are a bit lost as to what has been happening and why, this article is very good for explaining. Do have a read: Marine Industry News Article
– Kelly
