19th JUNE - The Campaign Goes National
There has been a lot happening this week! Thank you to everyone who has joined the Facebook Coastguard Collective Bargaining Group – we passed 1,000 members and had nearly 150 new members this week, welcome! And thank you to everyone who has joined GMB. The number of coastguard rescue officers now in GMB is 481, and we have confirmed the current workforce is 3,060 CROs – that gives us 15% union membership with GMB for this collective bargaining issue.
So, for anyone new here wondering what this is all about, we now have a brand new website. This can be shared with everyone – send it far and wide, to teammates and to the general public. All the information about the campaign and how to get involved is there.
There’s so much to cover this week, so we’ve themed this update.
EVENTS
Next Tuesday 23rd June, 6-7pm, there’s an online meeting for ALL CROs with GMB. These are open meetings to find out about next steps in the campaign and to ask any questions.
On Wednesday 1st July, there’s a “Coastguard Rescue Officer – Drop In with MPs” if you can be in London to visit Parliament and meet with MPs. This is being organised by Joe Robertson, a Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, though he wants to engage cross-party and is inviting other MPs to attend. Huge thanks to everyone who has written to their MP or MSP, and to Lucy who has worked so hard compiling all 60+ responses. This list has been shared, so those who have agreed to raise the issue will be invited to attend on the 1st July. Depending on the level of interest, further campaign organising might be arranged around this – current times to be there for are 3-5pm.
On Saturday 11th July, it’s the Durham Miners’ Gala. The Durham Miners’ Gala is a huge day of celebration of workers, with over 200,000 people attending each year. There are banners and brass bands, camping options (right next to my hometown, it’s beautiful!), and there may be support from GMB for transport. This is secured for the North East area, but ask and we will see what we can do if you want to attend! GMB will organise our own Save Our Service banner, t-shirts and flyers.
MEDIA
We now have a public Facebook page, with over 710 followers in 5 days! Please like and share it across with friends, family, community groups and interested parties. We are also on Instagram as “CoastguardSaveOurService.”
There’s lots of local press covering the story – thanks to everyone who has been sharing these on this page. This weekend, expect spreads across The Guardian and The Sunday Telegraph.
GMB
On Monday, GMB General Secretary Gary Smith sent a letter to Kier Mather MP at the Department for Transport. A national lead has been appointed for this campaign- Nicola Savage – we’re meeting on Monday and will update then.
The GMB survey launched on Wednesday and is still live – this is open to all CROs, including those not in the union, so please share it across your teams.
Initial findings from the survey suggest that, whether you like it or not, the new proposals will affect every CRO in the United Kingdom. People cannot afford to do skilled work – especially the intensive training, the administration, and all the other core roles needed to keep the service going – without remuneration. No one does this for the money, but the money is what enables us to do it. If people are unable to attend call-outs, or training, or help support the functioning of the service, or if they leave the service altogether, it will have a huge impact on every single one of us. Our roles as CROs will change, our service will struggle, and the communities that we serve, and live in, will be less safe.
The results from the GMB survey so far are clear, and highlight a huge disparity from the survey the MCA used to make these proposals. 93% of CROs who responded said they will not continue as usual should remuneration be withdrawn. 56% of CROs who responded have over 5 years’ experience. And 89% of CROs believe these changes will lead to people dying.
What this campaign is about is asking for a pause – for further scrutiny of the proposals, to allow for further risk assessments, to explore other options, and for CROs to be properly consulted in the process. We are campaigning for the MCA to listen, to engage with GMB who are representing us, and to find a future model for the coastguard rescue service that works for everyone.
NEXT STEPS
We are still building – join GMB today. This is your chance to tell the MCA that you want your voice heard on the new proposals. Our aim is to collectively bargain for a new model that works for everyone. We want, and we value, your voice in that discussion.
Please like and share our new public social media pages and website. The website in particular has lots of information relevant for anyone wondering what this campaign is about, and hopefully, if you are a CRO, you will join us in collective bargaining through GMB. From next week we will have more detail on GMB structures and strategies – we have a dedicated WhatsApp group for GMB and CROs, and GMB will also contact members directly. This page will still share information with all CROs, but you will probably have noticed the discussion here is dropping as more people are now in the WhatsApp groups and actively involved in the campaign.
Come to the next online meeting on Tuesday, 6-7pm
– Kelly
