RNLI Accused Of 'Disrespectful' Treatment Of East Cowes Workers As Strike Action Looms

An Isle of Wight councillor has criticised RNLI bosses over their handling of plans to close the charity's East Cowes boatbuilding facility, describing their approach as "disrespectful and hurtful" to the workforce.

The comments come as around 50 workers at the RNLI's Inshore Lifeboat Centre (ILC) in East Cowes are being balloted for strike action after the charity refused to recognise Unite.

Last month, the RNLI confirmed the East Cowes site will close by 2028, with production moving to Poole.

East Cowes ward councillor Karl Love has now accused senior management of failing to support the Island workforce despite what he described as two centuries of loyal service and fundraising support from the local community.

He said:

"It is incredibly disrespectful and hurtful that the RNLI executives do not go above and beyond to support their Island workforce given the 200 years of loyal service and the millions of pounds our Island community has raised for them."

Cllr Love said the charity had built a strong reputation for compassion but claimed it was failing to respond to the concerns of its own employees.

He also accused executives of being "careless" about the impact the closure and redundancies will have on workers, their families and the wider East Cowes community.

In response, RNLI Chief Engineer and Technical Director Ross Barraclough said the charity remains committed to supporting staff throughout the transition.

He said:

"While we're disappointed to hear of the plans to ballot for strike action, the wellbeing of our employees has been at the heart of our approach from the very beginning, and we will continue to provide support to all our staff at the ILC."

Mr Barraclough said Unite's claims did not accurately reflect the engagement that had taken place with employees, adding that the RNLI had held formal consultations, staff forums, drop-in sessions and one-to-one meetings.

He said the 18-month phased transition had been designed to give workers as much notice as possible while ensuring the long-term delivery of the RNLI's lifesaving service.

The RNLI also said it supports the statutory union recognition process currently being considered by the Central Arbitration Committee and is awaiting a decision on whether Unite will be granted collective bargaining status.

In the meantime, the charity says discussions with the union are continuing on an informal basis.