23.07.2026 / Press releases / BUTLINS

Butlin’s Resort Safety Officers Move towards Strike Ballot as Management Fails to Address their Safety Concerns 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Butlin’s resort safety officers move towards strike ballot as management fails to address their safety concerns 

• Resort Safety Officers serve Notice of Intention to Ballot (NOIB) as Butlin’s response to their demands for safety measures falls short of what they believe is needed 

• Workers, members of United Voices of the World (UVW) union, believe chronic understaffing, low pay, unreliable equipment and poor management may continue to impair their ability to maintain guests and staff safety 

• Resort safety officers at the Bognor Regis site could strike during the summer school holidays as the resort celebrates its 90th anniversary celebrations 

• Butlin’s reported £28.3 million in pre-tax profits in 2024, according to Companies House accounts 

As Butlin’s celebrates its 90^th anniversary as one of Britain’s most iconic holiday institutions, Safety Officers at its Bognor Regis resort, in the south coast, have formally served Notice of Intention to Ballot for industrial action as the company’s response to their letter of demands failed to address the serious concerns they have raised about safety, staffing and pay. 

The officers, members of UVW, gave Butlin’s the opportunity to address their demands for a safer, fairer workplace, but workers say the company’s response fell well short of what they believe was needed.  Strike action could take place during the summer school holidays. 

The dispute centres on workers’ concerns that chronic understaffing, low pay, unreliable equipment and poor management are undermining their ability to keep guests and staff safe. Workers also continue to raise concerns about unpaid breaks, unlawful wage deductions, excessive workloads and an over-reliance on agency staff in supervisory roles. They are also demanding the reinstatement of a safety supervisor the team feels was dismissed unfairly. 

Their demands include a pay rise to £14 an hour, paid night-shift breaks, repayment of wages they say were unlawfully deducted, the recruitment of five additional permanent Resort Safety Officers, changes to management and workplace policies, and trade union recognition. 

Founded in 1936, Butlin’s has become one of Britain’s most recognisable holiday brands. The company reported pre-tax profits of £28.3 million in 2024, according to accounts filed at Companies House. Workers say those profits should be matched by investment in the staff and working conditions responsible for keeping guests safe. 

Alan Riley, Butlin’s Bognor Regis Resort Safety Officer and UVW member, said: 

“I’ve worked in security for more than 20 years, including in the Met Police and at the Royal Albert Hall, so I know good security well. What we’re seeing at Butlin’s is unacceptable. We work 12-hour shifts dealing with violence, aggression, lost children and medical emergencies to keep families safe, yet we’re understaffed, feel unsupported and taken for granted.  

Following our demands to Butlin’s, it is with regret that they have responded so negatively. They suggest that management is supporting us, but this does not reflect the reality we experience every day. We will not be silenced and are now considering industrial action. We have ongoing problems with essential equipment that we believe put our safety – and that of our guests – at risk. We are an amazing team who give everything to protect guests, but we’re not getting the support or respect we deserve. We demand respect, and that’s why we’re standing together and demanding change.” 

Isabel Cortés, UVW Assistant General Secretary, said:  

“As Butlin’s celebrates 90 years of creating family holidays, it should also be asking how it treats the workers who keep these holidays safe. Our members aren’t asking for luxury, they are asking for enough staff to do the job safely, proper equipment, decent pay and the respect that they deserve. They gave management every opportunity to resolve these issues. Instead, they’ve been left with little choice but to prepare for a strike ballot ahead of the summer holidays.” 

For further information, contact the UVW communications team:
    

Isabel: 07706 987443  

Cristina: 07548 759340
    

Email: comms@uvwunion.org.uk    
    

About UVW       

United Voices of the World (UVW) is a grassroots union representing low-paid, and precarious and workers, including security guards, cleaners, concierges, couriers, carers, and hospitality staff.      

ENDS 

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