In the press now

https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2020/03/0...-set-to-close/

....
 

I really hope it’s pretty much a change of overalls and move to Sumburgh for the majority of them.

There'll be no transfering of jobs apart from those perhaps at Bristows. Airport staff, ATC etc are separate and from what I've heard have been told very little.

Agreed, an ex-student was offered a job recently with NHV (aberdeen) when he just got his IR with the bare minimum hours (270ish). He turned it down for a job with Bristows (aberdeen).

I took a job in Aberdeen with 1000hours onshore and an IR that had never been used, just last year. I am bonded into the type rating, id say to anyone wanting a job here to come up and press the flesh with some CVs. Emails are too easy to be ignored. Get knocking.

Thia is an excellent exit strategy. Take one of the big important contracts, then open the negotiation to sell the company.

TUPE or not TUPE
 

Nice to hear that Babcock are trying their hardest not to TUPE the Bristow staff after winning the IAC contract. I’m pretty sure Bristow did the decent thing when they took over the contract in Norwich?!. All sounds a bit petty to me.

Norwich contract was at the same base, nothing to do with the decent thing, its a legal obligation.

Scatsta IAC no longer exists, the contract is now made up of fewer operators and from a different airport. Why would TUPE apply?

Im sat on the fence, makes no odds to me, but let's not make out like one company did people favours. Law is law.

Bristow? TUPE obligations? You have got to be kidding. They wormed their way out of as many TUPE obligations on the former CHC SAR bases in the U.K. as soon as they could, in some cases via pressuring people to sign new contracts for various reasons. When they took over Humberside they did the same. Let’s not kid anyone into thinking any company’s management are better than the other. Middle managers and particularly HR depts are self serving and utterly ruthless. Besides as above TUPE does not apply. In fact if a contract has ended and a new one is beginning even at the same base it does not apply. But as shown where it should in such cases as NHV/Dancopter v CHC re Norwich Shell base it meant nothing and the crew were dumped out by both companies. Zero return for loyalty and service. It’s the world we’re in. Sorry to be negative but it’s the reality.

Ah right I stand corrected!

I was under the impression that Bristow took on the ex CHC SAR engineers from Sumburgh at the least and I also thought that NHV took on the ex Dancopter engineers at Norwich?!?!

The reality is that companies these days will take the employees if they need them under TUPE and if there is no need they will all try their utmost not to because of the cost & issues involved.
As we all know if people are doing the same job and some are getting better terms & conditions after being TUPE'd across that this will create issues.
I heard that in the past that some companies who lost a contract increased terms & conditions just before the TUPE'ing across happens, which if true might be another reason why the other company is reluctant to take employees across.

TUPE is not a ‘law’ which can be consistently relied upon to be applied when it comes to O&G.
It is not relevant if a contract has expired.
not applicable at Blackpool as Babcock still has a contract their so it is up to employer to re-assign staff or make redundant.
Any staff being accepted by NHV will be for mutually beneficial reasons - nowt to do with TUPE.
indeed, TUPE is a waste of ink.

https://assets.publishing.service.go...ndertaking.pdf

I tried reading this but it was too difficult.

But what you said about “ if the contract has finished TUPE doesn’t apply” makes perfect sense now I think about it.

Abdulbandul and Northenstar. Bristow did take on the Engineers in Sumburgh and Stornoway when they took the contract from CHC as CHC did when they took the contract from Bristow years before. As for the rest of the crews they took some but I don't know if it was all. I beleave that the same was true for Lee on Sea but don't know for sure.
All the other bases were new bases so not covered by TUPE.
As for the T's and C's I don't know, if they did change I haven't heard any moans from the people I am still in touch with.
Just t put the record right.

Perhaps a new lease of life for Scatsta and a new role
http://www.shetnews.co.uk/2020/06/16...-back-to-life/THE TEAM behind plans for a space centre in Unst have expressed an interest in using Scatsta Airport in a bid to “bring it back to life”.

The airport is due to close at the end of the week as its oil and gas flights move to Sumburgh Airport.

Shetland Space Centre (SSC), however, has pinpointed the facility as a possible ‘technology and space hub’, which could potentially operate while the runway is kept active.

Chief executive Frank Strang believes it could also still be used to support the oil and gas industry in addition to the space sector.

Strang has spoken publicly about the space centre’s desire to use Scatsta because the “witching hour is almost upon us”.

“We need to move now in order to try and get things done,” he told Shetland News.
https://mirror2.shetnews.co.uk/wp-co..._1-470x676.jpgFrank Strang.

“There is a real danger that the airfield will be stripped and dismantled when it closes at the end of the month. It would be a major disaster for Shetland and the North Mainland if that were to happen.”

Shetland Space Centre wrote to landowner Shetland Islands Council (SIC) “several months ago” to express its interest in the site.

“We believe it would be possible to create a model that would be sustainable and support both the space sector and the oil and gas industry,” Strang said.

“The ideal solution would for the SIC, as owner of Scatsta, to allow SSC to manage it and develop it out.

“It will take a couple of years in my opinion but there are some space-related activities that could happen by the autumn such as engine testing and R and D [research and development] as well as trying to attract some commercial business back to the site.”

The company aims to create a satellite launching facility at Lamba Ness in Unst, but it does not yet have planning permission.

A consultation event was recently held before a full planning application is submitted.

Strang said that there is an “obvious synergy” between Unst and Scatsta in the North Mainland.

Shetland Space Centre believes that Scatsta could be an “integral part of the emerging space industry on Shetland and having access to the runway would allow clients to fly in much closer to the launch site than landing at Sumburgh”.

“Some of the SSC clients would envisage light manufacturing and testing at Scatsta and the existing hangarage would be perfect and fit for purpose,” Strang added.

He said, though, that it is “absolutely essential” that a lot of the equipment at Scatsta is left on site once oil and gas flights stop.

This would keep costs down and ensure an “almost seamless transition”.

“It is important to realise that we are talking about people’s livelihoods and lives so we would make no promises as to jobs and numbers created but I genuinely believe if we keep up the momentum…with SSC that there is a real opportunity to keep Scatsta alive and rebuild the workforce albeit in a different form,” Strang added.

“This will in no way diminish our intention to reinstate Ordale Airport at Baltasound which is seen very much as integral to the success of the launch site at Lamba Ness. However the clock is ticking down, quickly, and whatever is going to be done to retrieve the situation needs to happen very soon.

“There are not too many good news stories out there at the moment but space certainly is one, and if some of that enthusiasm and support can be used to inject life back into one of Shetland’s key assets then it is worth giving it a go I feel.”

Speaking earlier this week SIC chief executive Maggie Sandison said the council will continue to be “open to discussions with anybody who is interesting in airport”, but she declined to comment on matters relating to an individual business.

Shetland Space Centre, meanwhile, already has a memorandum of understanding signed with aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, among interest from other companies.

At the weekend Edinburgh-based space developer Skyrora undertook a test rocket launch in Fethaland in the north mainland of Shetland.

It was the first time a suborbital rocket was launched from Shetland soil.

Launching satellites commercially from the proposed spaceport in Unst is a potential option for Skyrora.

That's a defo. They lost it a long time ago but NHV couldn't start on time so Babcock were extended for a year.

Not quite true, but it is a rumour network

Totally true.

in that case it must be true if its 'totally true'

Tell me, exactly, what's not true about my original statement.

The bit between 'but' and 'so'