Some members of staff at a Sussex holiday resort have taken strike action over safety fears.
Security staff at Butlin's in Bognor have walked out over the Bank Holiday weekend when more than 5,000 people are expected to visit the West Sussex site.
Members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) union walked out on Friday, August 28, over a dispute about guest and worker safety.
Workers say their pleas for better safety have been ignored by Butlin’s management.
However, Butlin's says it "rejects UVW’s misleading characterisation of lawful contingency arrangements", which it says are in place to ensure the resort can operate safely.
It said of 1,000 team members, only 19 resort safety team members have backed strike action.
Resort security team member Adam, 24, from Bognor, were among those taking strike action.
He said: “We feel we haven’t been treated fairly by Butlin’s.
“We feel concerns for our safety and the safety of guests.
“We have nearly 5,000 people staying in the resort and another 1,000 day visitors over the Bank Holiday weekend.
“We feel we aren’t adequately supported to deal with those numbers.”
Adam, who did not provide his surname, added: “We want to be heard.
“We have been ignored about our safety concerns.
“We have reported issues with our radios for years.
“Radios are our vital equipment and this is one of our biggest concerns.
“We deal with incidents every week from violence to medical emergencies and even deaths.
“If we can’t use our radios, that could be dire.”
Ellie Birkett from Southampton spent a week at Butlin’s with her children.
She said: “It’s pretty hectic in there.
“I support the workers.”
UVW is calling for five more officers to be recruited, equipment to be properly maintained, and a pay rise, among other demands.
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A spokesman for Butlin’s said: “Guests do not need to change their holiday plans as our breaks will go ahead as normal.
“We have robust arrangements in place for the 19 Resort Safety team members who backed strike action, within a resort workforce of more than 1,000 people.
“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority, and we reject any claim that the resort is unsafe.
“We reject UVW’s misleading characterisation of our lawful contingency arrangements.
“They are in place to ensure the resort can continue to operate safely and protect guests’ holidays.
“Cover is being provided by directly employed Butlin’s team members from a central security team deployed across our resorts.
“They are appropriately trained and briefed.
“We have sought to engage directly with those affected and remain committed to constructive engagement.”
More strikes are planned for the Bognor resort in the coming weeks.
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