The firing of two pilots in the helicopter company Bel Air, owned by businesswoman Susanne Hessellund, has got four trade unions in the red field.
The two pilots were fired in March, allegedly because they required a collective agreement. In a statement of support for the pilots, the four trade unions in Esbjerg now call Bel Air and its owner Susanne Hessellund to make a joint agreement with their pilots.
At the same time, the four trade unions, organizing up to 600 employees in the North Sea, blame Bel Air leadership for creating a fear culture among pilots.
"The methods used by Bel Air management do not belong to the Danish labor market. Bel Air tries to scare pilots from organizing themselves and from flying under collective terms, "says the statement from 3F Esbjerg Transport, one of the four trade unions who criticizes Bel Air.
The other three trade unions are Metal Vest, Danish El Association and 3F Esbjerg.
According to Jydske Vestkysten, the two pilots were fired at Bel Air a few hours after they had argued in a meeting of the pilot association to contact the FPU (Airline Personal Union) so that the company's pilots could get a joint agreement.
Bel Air, flying with helicopters for inter alia Maersk Oil, Vestas and Siemens, rejects any link between the firings and the pilots' request for an agreement. The company says the fires are due to a decline in activities and the loss of a lucrative contract.
At the end of March, Bel Air lost a major contract with flights for the companies Dong and Hess to and from the North Sea.
Bel Air's chairman, Jan Godballe Børjesson, tells the West Coast that he can no longer recognize the image of a fear culture in Bel Air. Several of Bel Air's employees also defend the management and owner Susanne Hessellund, writes the newspaper.
Bel Air was founded in 1994 by Susanne Hesselund and has been highlighted in recent years as one of the major growth successes in this country. The company's sluggish growth has made Susanne Hessellund billionaires - but a number of bugs have also made its mark.
In April 2015, Bel Air received a lawsuit from the Danish Transport Agency and limited flight permits for a period because there were problems with pilots training and because Bel Air did not comply with rest periods, flew with little fuel and without approval under ice conditions.
At the same time, the low oil prices have caused profits in the company to crash because many of the company's customers have to drosle their activities.
Last edited by Tango123; 26th May 2017 at 11:02.