Butlin's safety staff to strike over bank holiday

Butlin's safety staff are due to strike over the bank holiday weekend in a dispute over pay and changes to the workplace.

Members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) union working at Butlin's in Bognor Regis will walk out from Friday 28 August to Sunday 30 August over concerns about staffing, equipment and working conditions which it claims makes jobs "harder and less safe".

A Butlin's spokesperson said guests "do not need to change their holiday plans" and it has made arrangements for the 19 striking staff.

UVW general secretary Nelly Ospino said: "Our members have been absolutely clear: they do not want to strike. They want Butlin's to sit down with them and negotiate a solution."

She added: "These workers have repeatedly raised concerns about staffing, equipment, breaks, pay and working conditions. They should not have to strike simply to get management to engage with them."

UVW, which is representing striking resort safety officers, is calling for five more officers to be recruited, equipment to be properly maintained, and a pay rise, among other demands.

The walkout is the first of three planned strikes of increasing length over the space of three consecutive weekends, with plans for continuous strike from 21 September onwards.

Butlin's resort safety team is responsible for attending to incidents as well as helping to reunite lost children with their families and deal with medical incidents, UVW says.

A Butlin's spokesperson said: "We have robust arrangements in place for the 19 resort safety team members who backed strike action, within a resort workforce of more than 1,000 people.

"The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority, we reject any claim that a Butlin's resort is unsafe."

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