MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY PAY

That this House notes the 2008-09 Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) annual accounts which show senior management and board members within the MCA received on average a 15 per cent. pay increase whilst those on the frontline received an average one per cent. increase; further notes with surprise the 7.6 per cent. increase in the chief executive's salary from £127,000 in 2007-08 to £137,400 in 2008-09 in contrast to salaries for a coastguard watch assistant which start from £13,260; further notes with concern the continuing poor industrial relations within the MCA and the significant disparities between pay for MCA workers and others doing comparable jobs in other emergency services; further notes that in 2008 over 700 MCA workers took part in their first ever one day strike over pay and that as a result half of the UK's rescue co-ordination centres closed because of strike action; acknowledges the recent decision by the Public and Commercial Services Union to ballot its MCA members for potential future strike action; and calls on the Secretary of State for Transport to intervene in this long running dispute and offer reasonable pay for those who protect and serve the UK's shores and seas.