Union Criticises RNLI Over Refusal To Recognise Workers At Cowes Lifeboat Centre

Trade union Unite has criticised the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) for refusing to formally recognise the union at its Inshore Lifeboat Centre in Cowes, saying staff are being denied a collective voice at a time of major uncertainty.

Workers at the Isle of Wight site have been calling for Unite recognition after the RNLI announced last year that it was considering closing the facility, potentially putting dozens of jobs at risk.

Unite says it formally wrote to the RNLI earlier this month seeking recognition, but the charity responded by saying this was unnecessary because a works council is already in place.

The union argues that this does not meet legal requirements, as works councils cannot carry out independent collective bargaining, which can only be done by a recognised trade union.

Around 70 people are employed at the Cowes-based Inshore Lifeboat Centre.

Staff at the site are responsible for supplying and maintaining lifeboats for more than half of the RNLI’s 238 stations across the UK, and Unite says the majority of workers there are union members.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the RNLI’s stance was unacceptable, particularly given the potential closure of the facility.

She said workers were being denied “the fundamental right to be represented by an independent union”, adding that Unite would continue to press for recognition so staff could negotiate collectively over their jobs, pay and conditions.

While the RNLI has not given staff a detailed explanation for the proposed closure, it has said it is considering consolidating lifeboat manufacturing at its support centre in Poole from the end of 2027.

Unite has raised concerns that losing the experienced Cowes workforce could affect the safety and reliability of the lifeboat service.

Unite has now confirmed it will begin the formal legal process to seek statutory recognition through the Central Arbitration Committee.

Unite regional co-ordinating officer Jamie Major said it was disappointing that the RNLI had chosen to resist union recognition.

He said the move left staff facing “huge uncertainty” and added that the legal process was necessary to ensure workers had proper representation during discussions about their future.

The RNLI has not yet responded publicly to Unite’s latest comments.