The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has written to the UK Minister for Transport, Ruth Kelly, to ask her to review the level of pay currently given to Coastguards.
The Maritime and Coastguard Section of the PCS Union are currently in dispute with their employers over pay levels in the service and Mr Black is keen to see this resolved. Coastguards are paid on the same scale as the Administrative Grading system in the Civil Service. This means that those on the lowest rung of the Coastguard pay scale, Coastguard Watch Assistants, are paid as little as an Administrative Assistant in the Civil Service, which is only slightly above minimum wage. To join the Coastguard candidates have to undertake one years intensive training followed by an examination. Failure of the examination means leaving the service.
"I find it unbelievable that whilst it is quite rightly recognised that the staff in the Fire Service and the Police are paid in a way that reflects the difficult and dangerous circumstances they have to work in, one emergency service is still left out." said Mr Black.
"Coastguards save many lives every year, including around our own coastline. Their pay should reflect their training and the difficult and dangerous nature of their job."
