Eastbourne Pier Tragedy: A trade unionist's perspective

Every trade unionist, resident, worker and visitor to Eastbourne was horrified by the blaze which devastated our Pier yesterday afternoon. Today, the full extent of the damage becomes more visible- with the old ballroom/blue room/arcade building reduced to an iron shell.

As trade unionists, our first mention must be to our brothers and sisters in the Fire Brigades Union, who bravely and expertly fought the fire- in particular managing to stop the blaze spreading to other buildings along the pier. Had that happened, we would probably be joining the ranks of those seaside towns whose piers were lost for ever.

Next, we think of the effect on jobs and working people in our town. While much has been made of the "decline" of the English seaside holiday, tourism remains buoyant in Eastbourne, supported by the conference and language school trade.  Hotels remain popular, and day trips swell the numbers throughout the season.  Thousands of jobs depend either directly or indirectly on that flow of visitors to our town- in shops, hotels, arts and historical venues, restaurants, the transport industry- and those services that support all people in Eastbourne, whether resident or visitor.

Eastbourne's seafront has been key to the town bucking the trend as far as seaside resorts go.   The well maintained Victorian façade has given us an edge over many rivals- and the Pier is central to that. Look at any brochure, magazine article, even many of the signs in the town, and the Pier is genuinely iconic.  Even the film industry has drawn on the town- Brighton Rock was actually filmed using Eastbourne's Pier !

So, what needs to be done ?

First of all- Eastbourne is open.  Many community leaders have been quick to talk up the town. MP Stephen Lloyd has been a highly visible figure: while we don't always agree with him, it is right that he, and all representatives of the town keep making that point.

However, we need to try and avoid some of the wilder speculation that has been going on- whether about how quickly or otherwise the pier will be reopened, right down to some of the stranger conspiracy theories doing the rounds on social media (I won't insult your intelligence by linking to them) .  The experts from the police support and  fire service (many of them our members) will be carrying out the most thorough investigations, and we should support them in doing that.

Already, some cynical comments have been made about how the re-opening of the Pier will be affected by "'elf and safety" rules.  Well, as trade unionists, who every year remember our brothers and sisters who are injured or killed at work, we know the value of safety rules at work.  Given that the Pier will carry hundreds of people, over water, with limited exits, it seems reasonable that safety is a top priority ! We should be pushing for the Pier not just to be reopened in the quickest way possible, but also in the safest way.

There are many people who directly rely on the Pier for their livelihood.  Staff who are employed on the Pier will face an uncertain time, and we should be available to give whatever support and advice we can (both to union members and not) to make sure that they are treated both in line with their contract, but also in a way that is fair and values their service to the company.   Many of the small outlets are run by small, sole traders, who potentially face ruin: and we should welcome the fact that the first priority of the fundraising efforts being set up is to support these people- many of whom could not get insurance for a pier-based business. If there are staff facing hardship, especially any short term staff who have not accrued employment rights (now requiring 2 years thanks to the coalition's attack on workers' rights) then the fund should look at how to support them too.

Then, of course, comes the need for the Pier to be properly restored.  The Pier is owned by a private company, and we assume that they have adequate insurance to cover such an iconic Grade 2* building.  However, insurance companies are often reluctant to pay out more than they deem necessary, and the community needs to ensure that no half-measures are taken or corners cut in restoring it.

I can draw on a bit of convoluted experience here.  I was a director of the company that runs  Stoke Rochford Hall, the NUT's training centre, in a Grade 1 listed building in Lincs. A few years ago, we suffered a devastating fire, which seriously damaged the building.  As well as us and the insurers, the local authority, English Heritage and others all took an interest, in ensuring that the building was not just restored, but restored in the highest quality manner.  It was not always easy, but the end result was an award-winning restoration that employed some of the most skilled (and scarce) artisans in the country.  Nothing less should be good enough for Eastbourne Pier !

Dave Brinson is Secretary of Eastbourne Trades Council, an official of the National Union of Teachers, and an Eastbourne resident of more than 30 years.

Trade Unionists are encouraged to join the Twitter and Facebook groups for the friends of Eastbourne Pier- @EBPier  and on Facebook here.  Pier workers who would like informal advice about their employment rights should contact the Trades Council, in confidence, by clicking here.

Photo: Sophie Lewis