UPDATE: North Sea helicopter pilots vote for strike amid pay dispute

The article has been amended to include a subsequent statement by CHC.

Helicopter pilots serving the UK offshore oil and gas industry have voted for strike action over a pay dispute.

The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) on Tuesday said that Helicopter pilots in CHC Scotia have voted in favor of taking industrial action in a dispute over pay: 94% YES vote for strike action, and a 100% YES vote for industrial action short of a strike on a 77% turnout.

“Despite months of negotiations, the company have failed to offer a pay deal acceptable to our members, which is why we took the decision to ballot for industrial action. We have today informed CHC of the result of this ballot, and we are hopeful the company will put an acceptable offer on the table before we have to act on the mandate we received today,” Balpa said on Tuesday.

“The mandate would permit industrial action on dates to be announced over the period from 21st May 2019 to 5th November 2019. CHC Scotia pilots are based at Aberdeen, Humberside, Norwich, and Sumburgh,” BALPA said.

Offshore Energy Today has reached out to CHC seeking comment.

A CHC spokesperson responded: “It was disappointing to hear the result of the recent ballot in favor of industrial action over pay.

“We continue to negotiate with BALPA to find a mutually acceptable agreement. We believe we have made a competitive offer based on the ongoing challenging market conditions. In fact, it is the best offer made to UK rotorcraft pilots in the past five years.

“We are working on comprehensive contingency plans to ensure any disruption in the future to offshore flights is kept to a minimum.”

Offshore Energy Today Staff

Spotted a typo? Have something more to add to the story? Maybe a nice photo? Contact our editorial team via email.

Offshore Energy Today, established in 2010, is read by over 10,000 industry professionals daily. We had nearly 9 million page views in 2018, with 2.4 million new users. This makes us one of the world’s most attractive online platforms in the space of offshore oil and gas and allows our partners to get maximum exposure for their online campaigns. 

If you’re interested in showcasing your company, product or technology on Offshore Energy Today contact our marketing manager Mirza Duran for advertising options.