Carmichael calls on government to ensure fair pay and conditions for Sumburgh helicopter crew

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today called on transport ministers to use its financial clout to ensure that search-and-rescue helicopter crew continue to have fair pay and conditions in their dispute with Bristow Helicopters. Speaking in Parliament during Transport Questions, Mr Carmichael voiced concern about “hardball” tactics from Bristow in its relationship with BALPA crew, and said that as Bristow’s customer through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the government should encourage a fair settlement for crew.

Mr Carmichael previously led a debate in Parliament to raise local concerns about plans to change the Sumburgh helicopter response time from 15 minutes to a full hour, and secured agreement from ministers to review the proposals.

Responding to Mr Carmichael’s initial question on coastguard helicopter response times, Transport Minister, Anthony Browne MP said:

“The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are conducting an analysis of recent incident data to examine if the demand for search-and-rescue helicopter service may have changed since the launch of the UK’s second-generation search-and-rescue aviation procurement. This is expected to be published by the end of 2024, this year. As a result, I have had no recent discussions on this point as the review is ongoing.”

Mr Carmichael asked:

“There is a new and emerging threat to response times for search-and-rescue, and that is the poor and deteriorating industrial relations between Bristow’s management and their staff. As we speak, members of BALPA who work on the SAR cohort 2 are on strike, driven to it by a management who are playing hardball on salary and on terms and conditions. 

“Will he call on Bristow’s management and make it clear to them that as the customer, the government expects them to treat their search-and-rescue staff with the respect and consideration that their skill and bravery deserves?”

Responding, the minister said:

“I know how important search-and-rescue services are for his constituency and he has been a great champion for them. Clearly industrial relations are very important to make sure that they operate effectively and I am sure that the MCA will keep that in mind during their review. I should also add that just this very morning I agreed to meet the management of Bristow.”

Reacting after the exchange, Mr Carmichael said:

“I am glad that the government has taken seriously the concerns about proposed changes to search and rescue response times and I look forward to the review result when it comes. Even so, there will be little point in protecting the 15-minute response target if we find ourselves without any crew to run those helicopters. 

“The government, through the MCA, is the customer of Bristow in these search-and-rescue operations. It must use that financial leverage to ensure that the pay and conditions for SAR crew lives up to their skill and their vital role for our communities.”