Bristow Ireland, the company taking over the new Irish Coast Guard search and rescue (SAR) helicopter contract says, it has reached an agreement with trade union Unite to ensure the “smooth transition of special helicopter engineers” to the company.
“It captures agreed terms and conditions of employment, giving engineers a clear view of their employment with Bristow while also ensuring a process for dispute resolution,”the company says.
“The agreement has been accepted by the group of specialist helicopter engineers represented by Unite. They will start to transition from the current operator to Bristow this autumn, ensuring Bristow remains poised to deliver the next generation of SAR operations in Ireland later this year,” it says.
Bristow HR director, Emma Lawson, who has been “spearheading the development of the framework with Unite”, it is a “key milestone in the transition to the next generation of Irish SAR operations”.
“These skilled engineers are joining Bristow knowing they have the support of the company and their union in their continued career delivering a life-saving service,” she said.
Bristow says it plans to upskill the engineers, building on their existing experience to support a new generation of aircraft when the transition gets underway.
The company reached agreement earlier this year with Fórsa and the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association, covering technical crew, as in winch operators/winchmen, and flight crews (pilots) respectively.
The company will use a new fleet of six specialist AW189 helicopters.
“All the engineers will receive dedicated type-rating training on this advanced aircraft as they transition, ensuring Bristow delivers the right support for people and communities across the country,”the company says.
Bristow is preparing to make a transition to the new contract in the fourth quarter of this year. It will deliver nationwide all-weather 24-hour coverage, 365 days a year.
“Under the new contract, Bristow will create or sustain more than 150 jobs ranging from specialist ground support, engineering, flight operations, and in-country maintenance and support capabilities, ensuring its teams and aircraft stand at full readiness to respond to tasking from the Irish Coast Guard,”the company says.