Indeed, and rumours and misinformation are also commonplace in the crew room and long sectors. Typically originating from old and bold ‘in the know’ types and then repeated. I flew on one contract for several years, and the perceived wisdom was that the client was paying for all staff, on the contract, to fly business class (as its own staff did according to its travel policies). The story was that our employer was then taking the difference in price to our economy flights to add to the contract revenue. 13 years later, I owned that contract and in no shape or form was there reference to contractor staff travel!

This was not the UK, but when I flew in Aberdeen the seasoned captains would have very similar pearls of wisdom they would recount, about the Oil companies, on the 032 radial (or 029?forget now which way round they were!) home with a nice headwind.

Anyway, I hope this is resolved swiftly and equitably.

it could have been over before it had started if there had been the desire for it from management it seems.

Not a rumour.

SAR Contract, DfT/BHL.
Schedule 8.2
Annex C
20.3.1 The Monthly Standing Charge for a Base will be paid in full to the Contractor whenever Availability at that Base during a Month reaches or exceeds 98%. If Availability falls below 98% at any Base, the monthly payment for that Base will be calculated by multiplying the percentage Availability achieved in the relevant Month by the Monthly Standing Charge.

An interesting method. In reality, as they consider 98% to meet their target, the calculation should be MSC x Actual%/98

But, they must also define Force majeure too, which should not impact this, so is industrial action mentioned anywhere?

General Conditions of Contract
41 Disruption
41.2 The Contractor shall immediately inform the Department of any actual or potential industrial action, whether such action by their own employees or others, which affects or might affect its ability at any time to perform its obligations under the Contract.
41.3 In the event of industrial action by the Staff, the Contractor shall seek the written consent of the Department to its proposals to continue to perform its obligations under the Contract.
41.4 If the Contractor's proposals referred to in Condition 41.3 are considered insufficient or unacceptable by the Department acting reasonably, then the Contract may be terminated with immediate effect by the Department by notice in writing.
61 Force Majeure
61.5 In this Condition 61, "Force Majeure" means
... ...
(c) strikes or industrial disputes at national level or strikes or industrial disputes by labour not employed by the Contractor, ... ...
... ...

(My emboldenment.)

Why no overtime ban? 🤷