RNLI workers strike for increased redundancy payments

Workers in Unite at an RNLI lifeboat manufacturing site in East Cowes have gone on strike on Tuesday 11 August to increase the redundancy payments offered to them over the closure of the site.

Over 70 jobs will be lost when the facility moves to Poole. The RNLI are offering redundancy slightly above the statutory level. They have a large relocation fund to support workers relocating to Poole. However, the cost of housing and living is much greater in Poole, and the workers don’t want to relocate.

The Unite demand is to triple the redundancy payment, arguing that they should use the relocation fund and the RNLI’s huge reserves to fund this.

Turnout in the strike ballot was over 90% with a large yes vote for action. The pickets have had almost half the affected workers attending, and the strike is solid. They will strike again on 19 August and 25 August and then seek to escalate if no movement from the RNLI.

The workers have mostly only recently joined Unite, once the closure was announced, and this is their first dispute.
In 2009 workers on the Isle of Wight threatened with redundancy over the closure of the Vestas wind turbine factory went into occupation. Workers’ Liberty activists played a prominent role in the workers’ campaign. You can read more about it in our pamphlet about the occupation.

An occupation of the boat manufacturing site and the opportunity to save the jobs, not just increase the redundancies, should not be ruled out.

Sign Unite’s petition against RNLI job losses