Credit where credit is due
Blind must have received erroneus information regarding the role of BALPA in the matter of cyclical rosters for the Scotia pilots in egpd.
BALPA and representatives from the Scotia CC cooperated with representatives for company management and CHC Europe to solve the puzzle of the cyclical roster.
The work took more than one year if I recall correctly. BALPA demonstrated a high degree of motivation and supported the work actively.
The rosters are a watered down version of the systems utilized by CHC Helikopter Service AS of Norway. In HS the rosters are legally binding, as part of the collective labor agreement between the company and the pilot union/NALPA.
The Scotia pilots in egpd is now, for the time being, enjoying reduced number of working days, from a theoretical limit of approx. 220 days the numbers is now down to 182.
Keep in mind that the system does not include summer vacation, which the HS CLA does. The number of working days in HS is 165/173 for the MF system and 177 flying days when working the 7/7 system.
The working group from management, BALPA and the Scotia CC focused on the pro's and con's of the systems in Norway when reviewing and evaluating the alternatives.
Consequently, I believe the pilots of Scotia should tip their hats to their pilot representatives and the professional advice provided by BALPA throughout the process. Also, we were happy in Norway to note that the parties were able to cooperate constructively to make the positive change materialize.