Coastguards strike for first time

COASTGUARDS will stage their first-ever strike today in a row over pay, and union leaders are warning it will hit rescue centres across the UK.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said it expected up to 700 staff at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to join the walkout, which will hit shifts starting at 7am. The centres affected include Greenock, Aberdeen, Stornoway, Belfast, London, Liverpool and Dover.

The PCS says the French military will take over responsibility for shipping in the English Channel during the strike.