Rescue workers to join Coastguard picket

Apr 9 2008 by Aaron Boland, Liverpool Daily Post

COASTGUARDS will follow up their first strike by picketing Crosby’s rescue co-ordination centre this week.

They will join 700 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union working for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) across the country, who are striking on Friday.

They say it follows a refusal by management to negotiate a settlement to a long- running pay dispute.

The 24-hour stoppage will start at 7am and will be followed by a further day-long strike, beginning at 7pm on April 23, which will coincide with a one-day strike by other public sector workers.

Workers feel pay levels fall far behind those paid to other emergency services and also below the rising cost of living.

The first strike in the history of the MCA on March 6 drew strong support, and led to the closure of nearly half the UK's 19 rescue co-ordination centres.