The UK oil and gas industry risks losing a generation of skilled fliers if action is not taken to halt job losses.
North Sea helicopter pilots, represented by the British Airline Pilots’ Association, have said action has to be taken to stop the industry haemorrhaging talent.
Balpa is calling on the government to support industry in the North Sea after CHC Helicopter announced 50 job losses in Aberdeen. Half of those will be pilots.
The union said it is entering a period of negotiation with the company to save as many jobs as possible and ensure voluntary redundancy is offered where cuts must be made.
Balpa has called for a jobs summit with the UK and Scottish governments, the oil and gas companies and the key players in the supply chain. The union fears that once the skills have left the industry there will be no way back.
General secretary, Jim McAuslan said: “This is yet more devastating news, not only for the CHC Scotia community, but for North Sea industry as a whole.
“The loss of experience is a major threat to the UK economy. It is more important than ever that the governments should commit to helping businesses in the North Sea through this downturn, so skills are not lost when the situation improves.”
The news comes only weeks after Bristow Helicopters told staff it is to cut 130 jobs. Bristow blamed the downturn in the oil price and pressure on the North Sea industry for the loss of up to 66 helicopter pilots and 64 other staff.
The union had previously warned that pressure on contract prices will have a consequence for safety. Balpa had previously called for a public inquiry along the lines of the Cullen inquiry but this has been refused by both the Scottish and UK Governments despite a spate of accidents and deaths in the North Sea.
“The Scottish Minister, Fergus Ewing, has provided support through various agencies to help those displaced by redundancy.
“But there is no response yet to our call to get all the players in a room together to see how we can stop the industry haemorrhaging talent.
“Balpa is committed to doing all it can to protect pilots, but we have a wider duty to warn that the consequence of these cuts will be felt in the safety culture of the North Sea.
“Job losses are bad; loss of life is inexcusable and those who let contracts need to be publicly challenged under oath on how far safety really figures in their calculations.”
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