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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Coastguards strike over pay row | Coastguards strike over pay row |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Coastguards across Scotland have walked out in the latest in a series of strikes over pay. | Coastguards across Scotland have walked out in the latest in a series of strikes over pay. |
| Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union at the country's five control centres are taking part in the UK-wide 48-hour action. | Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union at the country's five control centres are taking part in the UK-wide 48-hour action. |
| Calls to the Clyde and Forth coastguard stations are being diverted to Belfast and Aberdeen. | |
| A skeleton staff remains on duty at Aberdeen, Stornoway and Shetland, to respond to emergency distress calls. | A skeleton staff remains on duty at Aberdeen, Stornoway and Shetland, to respond to emergency distress calls. |
| The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it had contingency plans in place. | The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it had contingency plans in place. |
| The PCS union said management had not shared its emergency measures with the union. | The PCS union said management had not shared its emergency measures with the union. |
| Staff are unhappy their pay is different from that of other emergency services personnel. | Staff are unhappy their pay is different from that of other emergency services personnel. |
| Appropriate pay | Appropriate pay |
| MCA chief executive Peter Cardy urged seafarers to take adequate precautions over the weekend, including seeking out alternatives to the agency weather forecasting which will not be available. | MCA chief executive Peter Cardy urged seafarers to take adequate precautions over the weekend, including seeking out alternatives to the agency weather forecasting which will not be available. |
| Mr Cardy said: "Clearly there is a gap between the pay of coastguards, particularly at the lower end of the range, and that of the other services." | Mr Cardy said: "Clearly there is a gap between the pay of coastguards, particularly at the lower end of the range, and that of the other services." |
| However, he said the work between the services was organised differently and it had to be established what the appropriate pay was for different levels of responsibility. | However, he said the work between the services was organised differently and it had to be established what the appropriate pay was for different levels of responsibility. |
| He added: "Our top concern is, of course, safety of life at sea and so we have been working very hard to make sure our contingency plans are as good as they could be." | He added: "Our top concern is, of course, safety of life at sea and so we have been working very hard to make sure our contingency plans are as good as they could be." |
| Steve Quinn, the PCS representative in Scotland, said managers had not revealed to them the details of the contingency plan. | Steve Quinn, the PCS representative in Scotland, said managers had not revealed to them the details of the contingency plan. |
| He said: "If something unfortunate happens, if people get seriously injured or lose their lives, then, I am sorry, the blame will rest fairly and squarely with the MCA management." | He said: "If something unfortunate happens, if people get seriously injured or lose their lives, then, I am sorry, the blame will rest fairly and squarely with the MCA management." |