VIDEO: RNLI 'lockout' means crew unable to respond to even the most dire emergency

Sunday 09 April 2017

Jersey’s new Lieutenant Governor is being drawn into the Island’s argument with the national RNLI following their 'sacking’ of the boat’s coxswain, and the mass walkout of the crew in support, which means the lifeboat station is no longer operational.

Hundreds gathered in support of the crew outside the station this morning, and a petition was handed to Assistant Chief Minister Senator Paul Routier. He says he’s meeting the governor tomorrow to get him to intervene in an attempt to get the dispute sorted out.

Coxswain Andy Hibbs, who’s been on the crew for almost 25 years, 14 of them as coxswain, and whose father was also coxswain before him, was dismissed on Thursday for allegedly breaking the RNLI’s code of conduct, something he strongly denies, and of which he was cleared at an earlier disciplinary hearing.

The row has made international news and according to this morning’s protest co-ordinator, former lifeboat crew member, Paul Battrick, it’s brought the whole organisation into disrepute.

It’s claimed shortly after ‘sacking’ Mr Hibbs the national organisation changed all the station’s locks, so even if there was a huge ‘shout’ – an emergency callout - the crew wouldn’t be able to scramble the boats.

Addressing the crowd Mr Battrick pondered: “why did the RNLI waste charity money, raised by me, and by you in changing all the locks in the lifeboat station that was paid for by our Island. This would say to me that the appeal process is a fait accompli, and has been pre-decided and not transparent. I would also say here this proves the RNLI are bullies as within 24 hours they have lost respect of the crew who have served this Island for so long.”

There were shouts from the those gathered in support of the crew to storm the station and take it over, but members of the crew, standing on the pier looking down on the crowd, urged caution and said two wrongs didn’t make a right.

Paul Battrick told the gathered audience the man who’s being ‘blamed’ for sacking the coxswain has only been in the post since January. Since then he’s been to the Island twice, the second of which was to dismiss Mr Hibbs. Mr Battrick says this makes a mockery of a press release in which it is claimed “he has worked with the coxswain for some time to resolve a serious breakdown in relationship between the charity and the coxswain.”

There was also criticism that the RNLI are using publicly raised money to send a media expert to the Island and to pay the hotel and food bills of five people from the UK who’ve been sent to the Island as an emergency crew.