Safety officers at a holiday resort could strike this summer in a dispute over staffing, pay, and working conditions.
The officers, based at Butlin’s Bognor Regis, have formally served a Notice of Intention to Ballot after they say the resort chain failed to address their concerns.
But Butlin's said the allegations do not reflect the culture and working environment there.
Industrial action could potentially take place during the busy summer school holidays, coinciding with Butlin’s 90th anniversary.
The workers, members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, claim that issues with staffing levels, low pay, and poor management may continue to impair their ability to protect guests and staff.
UVW said that workers had also raised concerns surrounding unpaid breaks, unlawful wage deductions, excessive workloads, and the use of agency staff in supervisory positions.
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Alan Riley, a 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."
Officers are calling for pay to be increased to £14 per hour, paid breaks during night shifts, repayment of wages said to have been unlawfully deducted, and the recruitment of five additional permanent officers.
They are also seeking changes to management practices and formal recognition of their trade union.
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."
In a statement, Butlin’s said that while a small number of team members had expressed concerns, the claims did not reflect the wider work environment at the resort.
A spokesperson for the resort said: "We recognise that a small number of team members have raised concerns.
"While we take matters like this very seriously, the allegations do not reflect the culture and working environment across Butlin’s.
"The safety and wellbeing of our team members and guests is our top priority.
"We are reviewing the points raised and will continue engaging directly with our team to address any concerns, while ensuring our resort remains a safe and enjoyable place to work and visit."
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