Flint coastguards hit by ruling that strips emergency callout payments from volunteers
Coastguards from across the UK are set to gather in Westminster today, Wednesday, July 1, to demand the reinstatement of emergency callout payments cut following a court ruling.
The Flint Coastguard Rescue team is among those affected by the change, which removes hourly pay that volunteers have relied on to cover the cost of leaving work to respond to incidents.
The protest takes place at College Green at 17:00, organised by GMB Union, whose legal challenge led directly to the payment changes.
Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) have until now received around £11 per hour for attending callouts and training exercises, with a minimum payment equivalent to three hours, around £33, even if an incident was resolved quickly.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is removing those payments after the Court of Appeal upheld a judgement in January 2026 classifying CROs as workers, rather than volunteers, while carrying out duties for which they could claim pay.
The case was brought by former CRO Martin Groom, who challenged the MCA at an employment tribunal in 2022.
That tribunal initially found in favour of the MCA, but an employment appeal tribunal overturned the decision in 2024, a ruling then upheld by the Court of Appeal.
Appeal judges found that while CROs were described as volunteers, a contract came into existence whenever they attended callouts or training sessions for which they had a right to claim payment.
In response, the MCA said it would move to a “revised volunteer model.”
An MCA spokesperson said: “This decision follows a legal judgment, which means we need to change how the service operates.”
“This new model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to volunteer alongside their primary employment.”
“We deeply value and recognise the significant service CROs provide along our coastline, and we will be supporting them during this transition.”
The MCA added that volunteers would still be able to claim some compensation for certain activities and would receive training, equipment, operational support, uniforms and PPE.
Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael said he had written to MCA chief executive Virginia McVea to demand a meeting.
He said: “No one volunteers with the coastguard for the sake of the remuneration involved but those payments matter, both as recognition of the dangerous and important work that volunteers do, and as a way to make such volunteering financially viable.”
“Cutting such remuneration is likely to undermine morale amongst local crews, harm future recruitment of volunteers, and could even risk causing active resignations from the service.”
CROs carry out rescues around the UK coast, including people stuck in mud, water and on cliffs, as well as assisting in searches for missing people.
The Flint Coastguard Rescue team is one of a number of stations across Wales affected by the changes.
The MCA has not confirmed when the payment changes will take effect.
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