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Court Rules Coastguard Volunteers Workers, Halting Pay Cut

7/16/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Coastguard rescue officers mobilised a nationwide campaign that forced the government to abandon its plan to cut hourly pay.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the volunteers are workers because they receive hourly remuneration, prompting the reversal.
Maritime minister Keir Mather told the Commons that the hourly-pay model will remain in place.

History

Historical Context

In 2016 an Employment Tribunal first ruled that Uber drivers were ‘workers’, a finding upheld by the Court of Appeal and, in March 2021, by the UK Supreme Court, which extended minimum-wage and holiday rights to about 13,000 drivers, costing Uber £200 million a year. The same judicial trend now forces the government to keep hourly pay for Coastguard volunteers after a Court of Appeal ruling.

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Story summary

Coastguard rescue officers mobilised a nationwide campaign that forced the government to abandon its plan to cut hourly pay.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the volunteers are workers because they receive hourly remuneration, prompting the reversal.
Maritime minister Keir Mather told the Commons that the hourly-pay model will remain in place.

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