ABOUT 80 senior staff at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in Southampton have voted to take industrial action in protest at their latest pay offer.

Together marine surveyors, responsible for ensuring vessels are seaworthy, and senior managers, including directors and deputy directors, will refuse to work overtime or provide any out of hours coverage.

They will also stop using their own vehicles to travel to and from any surveying work that is required under national and international maritime safety regulations.

The action at the agency's Southampton HQ and 19 regional centres is due to begin within the next fortnight and will involve 170 Prospect union members.

Members voted to take the industrial action in the face of an average 2.5 per cent pay increase which they have said was nine months late and the fact that management had failed to honour commitments to overcome pay disparities.

Prospect negotiator John Ferrett said: "Our members' expertise is vital to MCA's work in preventing the loss of lives at sea and stopping coastal pollution.

Frustration "The below inflation award compounds existing frustration at the disparities in pay between MCA surveyors and comparable Department for Transport colleagues in the Marine Accident Investigation branch who are paid literally twice as much."

He added: "Our members' patience with the repeated promises from the MCA board that there will be jam tomorrow' has finally worn out."

Mr Ferrett said members have ruled out full strike action because they do not want to jeopardise safety at sea.

Of the members who voted in the ballot, 87.1 per cent were in favour of industrial action short of a strike.

Members are due to meet next week to agree a start date for the industrial action.

The Public and Commercial Services Union is also balloting its members, including coastguards and administrative workers, over industrial action.