Staff at an RNLI lifeboat manufacturing site due to close at the end of 2027 have voted to strike amid a redundancy terms dispute, trade union Unite has announced.
This week, Unite confirmed that around 50 members at RNLI’s inshore lifeboat centre (ILC) on the Isle of Wight would take industrial action on 11, 19 and 25 August following a ballot.
In May, following a staff consultation, RNLI said it would move its lifeboat production from its ILC in East Cowes to another site in Poole, Dorset at the end of next year.
The charity anticipated that consolidating its lifeboat manufacturing into one location would lead to a reduction in production hours by a third.
Unite said that after weeks of negotiations, RNLI was “failing to offer improvements to a redundancy package” for its members and criticised the charity’s approach to negotiations.
In response, the charity said the union’s statement misrepresented its engagement with affected staff, some of whom have been offered jobs at the Poole site.
The strike announcement follows Unite being formally recognised last month as the trade union entitled to conduct collective bargaining on behalf of some of the ILC’s staff, after RNLI rejected an earlier request.
RNLI defends behaviour
Unite said talks between conciliatory body ACAS and RNLI broke down after the charity refused to offer increased redundancy payments to affected employees.
The union said RNLI had offered a “generous” relocation allowance to staff, who currently maintain lifeboats for over half of the charity’s 238 stations.
It said moving to the “more expensive” area of Poole would not be feasible for most ILC workers and called on the charity to “negotiate a fair package for these workers that’ll be made redundant”.
Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The behaviour of the RNLI throughout this dispute has been a complete disgrace.
“While our members face uncertainty about their futures, it’s refused to engage meaningfully with the union.
“Expecting workers to relocate to a completely new area, without any financial remuneration or thought as to the impact on their personal lives, is completely unfair.”
Ross Barraclough, RNLI’s chief engineer and technical director, said employees’ wellbeing had “been at the heart of our approach from the very beginning” and that the charity would “continue to provide support to all our staff at the ILC”.
“Unite’s statement misrepresents and doesn’t accurately reflect the extensive engagement and the sincere efforts that have been made to support our colleagues throughout this period of change,” he told Civil Society.
“We’ve been responsive and engaged with Unite when they’ve made themselves available to discuss the situation.
“Our priority continues to be focused on listening to our employees and working closely with their representatives to shape, and where appropriate, enhance the support available to them.
“We’re mindful that we’re a charity and must always consider this when spending donors’ money, the enhanced package we’ve offered to ILC staff goes above statutory requirement and compares positively across the charity sector.”
Transitional support plan
Barraclough said the 18-month phased transition from the Isle of Wight site was designed to give as much notice as possible to ILC staff.
“This firm commitment is reflected in the comprehensive transitional support plan that we’ve developed through formal consultation, regular employee forum meetings, drop-in sessions, and one-to-one conversations,” he said.
The plan includes tailored options for affected employees, including voluntary redundancy opportunities, redeployment, relocation support, and career transition assistance.
Barraclough said the RNLI has also committed to guaranteeing job opportunities in Poole for production staff where possible.
“It also includes offering financial and transitionary support to relocate staff to our site in Poole,” he said.
“We’d wish to work openly and constructively with both Unite representatives and ILC employee representatives on matters affecting our colleagues, just as we’d expect to do in any positive industrial relations environment.
“We’re keen to ensure that our dedicated employees have full access to the right information, that we have meaningful engagement, and that they’ve the practical support they need throughout the transition.”
