Almost half of Coastguards in UK would be forced to reduce their hours or stop volunteering altogether if ‘cruel’ pay cuts are carried out, the MCA’s own survey data shows.
Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) are volunteers who carry out rescues and search for missing people around the UK's coast.
They have always been given hourly remuneration for attending incidents and training exercises - but the MCA has now removed the payments.
Thousands of coastguards responded to a survey carried out by the MCA, the results of which have been leaked to GMB.
They show 44 per cent of Coastguards would be forced to reduce their hours or be unable to continue if the cuts went ahead.
Nicola Savage, GMB National Officer, said:
“These cruel cuts are going to rip the heart out of a life saving emergency service millions of people rely on.
“Coastguards across the UK risk their own lives to keep us safe - the very least they should expect is paying for their time and expenses.
“If the MCA pushes ahead with these unprecedented cuts, the Coastguard that has protected us for more than 200 years could cease to exist as we know it.”
