There is nothing to stop anybody who holds a licence PVR'ing and negotiating on their own terms with Bristow.
2 problems with that statement llamaman - firstly, we have been told that Bristow won't employ people who do exactly that (if one had already PVR'd prior to contract award that might be different) and secondly mil manning can hold on to anyone who PVRs for a minimum of a year and have the ability to extend that in the interest of the Service.
Additionally, the flying pay and pension hits that those not on PAS will take if they PVR may also sway many.
It is in the greatest interests of both sides that the managed transition works.
Interesting thoughts about lower pay scales for SAR than offshore - what will stop low time pilots taking the co-pilot slots, getting their type rating, IR and time on type before departing for oil and gas and rock-star wages?
The same could be said of anyone going in to SAR in the next few years - if the pay isn't right, there will be an exodus to where it is better giving a constant dilution of experience and a higher through-life training cost (which is expensive) for the contract.
The Bristow name has a lot of credibility in UK - some American business practices do not - let us hope that the desire to make money does not outweigh the need to provide the quality SAR service everyone is expecting.