UK Coastguard SAR - Bristow out??
 

BBC has just announced that the UK Coastguard has declared CHC Scotia as the preferred bidder for the next contract currently being negotiated. Bristows are contesting the bidding process.

Great - things are looking up for CHC-Scotia - retaining the Total contract and now expanding the SAR division. All I need now is the SAR at Lossie to go civil:ok:

HF

You're too old an amphibian for them there mountains!

Cheeky Cyclic I'm not that old

Done it once before - though I must admit that the NVGs have improved since my time so you can now go further into the hills at night:sad:

Scary
HF

Ok:

A.where do they get Jockeys and grubbers from to man this ? and..

B.What type of cabs are they gonna use and where are they gonna get them from ?

How much experience do they have ?

Where on the BBC was it reported? Cannot find any mention of it on the BBC news website, or on any web search of "CHC Scotia" or Coastguard Helicopter

Here you go a link to the BBC Scotland Story


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4229154.stm

If I worked for Bristows I'd be happy right now, their pay is slightly less than CHC and there expenses are way below CHC...Don't know about holiday but CHC get 42 days /year where I think Bristows get 36??? CHC doesn't seem to be run but old dinasours like Bristows as well.....

It mentions Shetland and Stornaway, doesn't mention the southern bases....or is that just because it's the BBC scotland website??

NorthSeaTiger to answer your questions:-

A. Ex Bristow guys already doing the job? Ex Jigsaw crews when they realise that there is a better deal on offer.

B. S61N, 332L2, 225, S92, EH101 your guess is as good as mine

CHC has loads of world wide experience in SAR the closest being the contract in Eire with S61s

332M

This is the latest story here.

Would the Bristows guys already at the bases have a good chance of retaining their jobs?

Yes. EU law binds the new contractor to take on the employees of the old contractor whose jobs were dedicated to the said contract.

Rumour that preceded this BBC news story suggested the fleet as a mix of the S92 and the AB139.

Another source suggested that the Coastguard contract is in various packets related to the order of letting the first contracts. So this may be the 'Northern' contract[s] first .... [this is hinted at by the tone of the BBC story].

Perhaps the proposal is AB139s in the south...

Time will clarify.

Just looked at the latest news posted by silverknapper. If Bristow are really going to appeal on the grounds of lack of track record of the S92 I feel sorry for you all at Bristow. Presumably those in their ivory towers presume that the S61 will go on forever and win contracts because it has a proven track record!!!!! With mentality like that, I see no hope for you guys ever getting into new technology on the back of a well thought out bid on behalf of your commercial department. The only time you will ever see it, is when it is forced upon you by the oil companies, and then you will get the cheapest on offer at the time!!!!!
If CHC do end up with the contract, then well done to all in the team who put the bid together!!!!!!!!

Nice one pitchlink, totally agree. This is great news for UK SAR and those in need of a rescue service. Good luck and well done to the MCA and CHC.

Sadly it doesn't work like that. The loss of a contract does not mean that the employees are covered by TUPE, TUPE is only relevant when the company itself is taken over, then the terms and conditions of the employees are protected.

I disagree. Find me one helicopter that has not had teething problems in a new role. There is a recent thread on here indicating the problems the 92s are causing Norsk and the AB139 is so new we have yet to hear what its teeting problems are. What cover will CHC provide if an AD comes out grounding a fleet? I would be interested to hear what SAR crews would think of flying out over the Atlantic on a dark and stormy night in a brand new type.

Nobody's mentioned it yet - to my surprise - but surely this is just the first step to CHC taking over the whole UK SAR, including the Military.;)

From the chc website
 

VANCOUVER, Nov. 4 /CNW/ - CHC Helicopter Corporation ("CHC")
(TSX: FLY.SV.A and FLY.MV.B; NYSE: FLI) announced today it has been named by
the United Kingdom Department for Transport ("DfT") as the 'preferred bidder'
to provide commercial Search and Rescue helicopter services from four bases in
the UK for a five-year period commencing July 1, 2007.
DfT and CHC will now negotiate details of the operation with a view to
finalizing a contract for the provision of search and rescue services from
three dedicated civilian-operated bases at Sumburgh, Stornoway and Lee on
Solent on a 24/7 basis, as well as Portland on a day-time only basis. The
awarding of this contract is not assured and remains subject to the
finalization of terms and conditions with the DfT.
CHC currently provides search and rescue and emergency helicopter
services in Ireland, Africa, Australia and Norway. This new contract, if
awarded, would further strengthen CHC's position as world leader in civilian
offshore search and rescue helicopter services and enhance its reputation for
providing expert, cost-effective alternatives to government-run Coast Guard
services.

Droopystop

As we all know, 40 year old technology never goes wrong?!!!

Chopperman

I stand ready to be corrected but I think you are wrong.

TUPE stands for Transfer of Undertaking Protection of Employment and IIRC is designed precisely to protect the employees when a company is outbid on contract renewal - otherwise the outside bidders could formulate a bid based on minimum wage for the task while the current contractor would be landed with a huge redundancy bill.

Applies to all sorts of undertakings - commonest demo is when the cleaner turns up in a different uniform one morning - different contractor, different contract, same staff.

Sven