Warning on Coastguard unit closure

Jun 2 2012

Staff at a Coastguard co-ordination centre due to close later this year are already being stretched to the limit, according to a union.

The Clyde Coastguard centre, along with Forth Coastguard's co-ordination centre, are to be shut as part of UK Government cuts.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said Clyde's station at Greenock has had an extremely busy start to the bank holiday weekend, dealing with a number of serious incidents. A 47-year-old man died on Saturday after a cabin cruiser capsized in the Firth of Clyde.

Clyde dealt with 147 incidents in May alone, which is more than Stornoway and Shetland have in the first five months of the year: 129 and 136 respectively.

The base in the west of Scotland has dealt with more than 500 incidents this year, more than any of the country's other centres.

The Clyde Coastguard Newsletter produced at the end of May said: "These figures show clearly where the majority of incidents occur and that the removal of MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre Clyde) will significantly increase the risk to the people using the waters of the west of Scotland.

"The staff at Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre Clyde are extremely concerned that the proposals put forward by the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) are entirely driven by saving money and do not take into consideration the safety of the people that make their living from and use the waters of the west of Scotland for leisure.

"The staffing levels at Clyde are a concern to the staff, where we should have 30 watch keepers we currently have only 20."

The PCS's coastguard branch said the MCA does not know if it can enhance the manning levels at Belfast and Stornoway to meet the increased work load when Clyde closes down.

It said: "The system have not been tested and the PCS union has grave concerns that, if the Government do not retain Clyde Coastguard Station, people's lives will put at risk and that the service that we provide at present will be severely segregated."