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Coastguard staff stage walkout Passport staff join strike action
(about 2 hours later)
Coastguard staff are staging a two-day walkout on Friday and Saturday. Passport office staff in Northern Ireland have become the latest public sector workers to vote for strike action over pay.
The Public and Commercial Services union said up to 700 employees at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency across the UK are involved in the action. The move means the passport office in Belfast will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week.
Coastguard staff are also due to begin a two-day strike beginning on Friday evening.
The strikes are being staged over the government's policy of capping public sector pay below the rate of inflation.
A two-day strike by council workers closed leisure centres and libraries and stopped rubbish collections earlier this week.
Involved
The action by Coastguard staff will begin at 1900 BST on Friday.
The Public and Commercial Services union said up to 700 employees at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency across the UK were involved.
They are complaining that pay rates are behind other emergency services. It is the second walk out in three months.They are complaining that pay rates are behind other emergency services. It is the second walk out in three months.
The MCA have said they will continue to provide an emergency service to all beach, cliff and sea users. The MCA has said it will continue to provide an emergency service to all beach, cliff and sea users.
The agency's chief executive, Peter Cardy, said they were committed to "maintaining the safety of life at sea".The agency's chief executive, Peter Cardy, said they were committed to "maintaining the safety of life at sea".
"Plans are in place to provide cover, but I'm encouraging everybody working or playing on the sea or on the beach this weekend to take that bit of extra care, and to follow our safety advice," he said."Plans are in place to provide cover, but I'm encouraging everybody working or playing on the sea or on the beach this weekend to take that bit of extra care, and to follow our safety advice," he said.