The UK government has abandoned plans to stop paying coastguard rescue officers for their time, following widespread concerns from volunteers and unions. The decision to continue providing compensation for their service was announced by UK transport minister Keir Mather.
Dr. Kelly Stockdale, a coastguard rescue officer and senior lecturer in criminology, expressed relief that the minister had acknowledged the volunteers' concerns. She highlighted the extensive training required for the role, noting that officers train for over 100 hours initially and continue with weekly two-hour training sessions to maintain their skills. "Our main fear is if people were to leave because they couldn't afford to continue to commit, they couldn't lose that income, we'd not only have fewer people but also the skills and experience that would be lost," Stockdale said.
Paul Arkison, a senior organiser for GMB Scotland, welcomed the reversal, stating that the initial plan was ill-considered and self-harming. "These brave and skilled emergency workers do not do it for the money but the money allows them to do it," Arkison said. He added that the decision to continue paying volunteers for their time should never have been necessary.