Helicopter pilots in Aberdeen have agreed to run a ballot for strike action over offshore helicopter operator redundancies in the North Sea.

Helicopter operators have been feeling the brunt of the oil market downturn, precipitated by low oil prices, with Bristow Helicopters recently citing year-on-year results "significantly impacted by a decline in oil and gas activity, especially in our North Sea operations within our Europe Caspian region."

According to the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), over a third of helicopter pilots operating in the North Sea met to discuss the issue on Friday.

Meanwhile, Bristow started an enhanced inspection of its S-76 fleet following a crash involving a Sikorsky S76 C+ offshore Lagos, Nigeria, last week. The helicopter was returning from a rig drilling offshore with 10 passengers and two crew. Five passengers and one crew member died in the incident.

BALPA General secretary Jim McAuslan said: “Pilots know that jobs will be lost; but there is a right way and a wrong way of doing it and the helicopter companies need to know that we will not accept their approach. We want decent voluntary terms to attract willing victims, more part time working options to save jobs and objective and transparent redundancy selection criteria, which pay proper regard to flying experience - a critical factor in maintaining safety off shore.

“Pilots have also expressed anger at those higher up the supply chain that are exploiting the crazy competition and have called on Government to knock heads together.

“For pilots safety is our number one priority and there is a fear that these redundancies may lead to corners being cut and pilots flying when their focus is not 100% on task.

"Overall the redundancies are bad for employees, bad for business, bad for the UK economy and bad for safety.

“We will now hold an indicative ballot to ask members if they are willing to take strike action. This will close on Tuesday 18 August.”

Source: www.oedigital.com

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