Lifeguards on strike over 'unsafe' off-site breaks

GMB members, officers and lifeguards, with a cut-out of TV lifeguard Michael Hasselhoff, from Baywatch, on the picket line at Woodford Leisure Centre

Lifeguards at Hull leisure centres have gone on strike amid "safety concerns" over unpaid breaks.

Members of the GMB union protested at Woodford Leisure Centre on Holderness Road over the introduction of 30-minute unpaid breaks to be taken off-site.

GMB officer Liz Marshall said the new rules meant that if an accident happened, there would be "not much help" available to staff.

Hull Culture and Leisure (HCAL), said "customer safety is our priority" and there would "not be any change to the current lifeguarding provision" in their pools.

A spokesperson added that the lifeguarding service provided at their pools would "continue to comply" with national guidelines set out by Royal Lifeguarding Society UK, including training standards and qualifications.

HCAL, a limited company owned Hull City Council, also runs the Ennerdale, Albert Avenue Baths and Beverley Road Baths leisure centres in the city.

'Anything could happen'

Ms Marshall said in the pool "anything could happen at any given moment" and the union had concerns there would not be enough staff to deal with emergency situations if some were off-premises.

"Is it the safety or the money that is important?" she said.

Ms Marshall added that the leisure centres were "already under-manned" so the introduction of mandatory breaks was a "big health and safety issue".

The workers were also striking over an "unacceptable" HR app that she said HCAL wanted to install on employees' personal phones.