Agreement reached in helicopter pilot pay dispute

A PAY dispute involving Bristow helicopter pilots which saw staff at the Sumburgh coastguard base go on strike earlier this year looks to be over.

The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) confirmed that its members at Bristow have “overwhelmingly” accepted a multi-year pay deal and agreement on terms and conditions of employment.

The Sumburgh based coastguard search and rescue crew went on a 24-hour strike in May as part of a wider series of action.

It is understood that as Inverness crew were also striking at the same time, the nearest cover for Sumburgh during the action was the Stornoway base.

The union said the agreement follows more than a year of negotiations and “extensive industrial action that showed the strength of feeling and solidarity amongst the oil and gas and search and rescue crew”.

BALPA general secretary Amy Leversidge said: “This result is a significant achievement for our pilots and technical crews who reluctantly undertook industrial action.

“Thanks to their strength and solidarity BALPA was able to push for a multi-year pay deal and agreement on terms and conditions of employment that delivers for our members and brings an end to further action.

“It means our members can focus on what matters most- safeguarding the future of the search and rescue service, keeping people safe and similarly transporting those who work on oil and gas installations.”

A spokesperson for Bristow said: “We are pleased that BALPA members have voted to accept the new pay deal which adequately compensates our people for their important and skilled roles while also ensuring Bristow remains competitive in the market.

“We are grateful for everyone’s patience, commitment and hard work throughout this process and we look forward to continued positive engagement with our air crews and BALPA in future.”