CA S E S T U DY The winding road to agreement BALPA has been at the heart of negotiations with Bristow Helicopters, securing better pay for our members By Michelle Brierley F rom the beginning, our ask was clear. After the worst cost-of-living crisis in living memory, compounded by several years of pay freezes and cuts, Bristow members were unequivocal that their main priority was an increase to their pay and allowances. At the time we submitted our pay claim, in February 2023, Bristows pay had dropped so far that it was becoming one of the lowest-paid operators in the UK helicopter industry. Things got worse before they got better when, after several meetings with the employer, Bristow Helicopters put forward an initial offer of three per cent. At the time, this was the lowest offer put forward to any of BALPAs bargaining units and we had the first indication of a potential dispute. Theres a theory about the value of labour that argues that profits are the unpaid wages of the workers and, given that Bristow members continued to work throughout the pandemic to the extent that the company was now turning a significant profit they felt it only fair that they should share in some of the good fortune. The negotiations and dispute-resolution processes between BALPA and the company continued past 1st April 2023, when the pay settlement was due, and then throughout the summer of 2023, without any resolution in sight. Our strategy had to be adaptable; we also had to know when to stand fast and when to be more flexible. It was a frustratingly slow process. Many members will be unaware of the huge amount of legislation surrounding disputes. From the beginning, we had to navigate this and ensure all procedures were followed. In December 2023, still with a significant gap between the two positions, we entered ACAS conciliation. It had become clear by this point that affordability was not an issue for Bristow. Despite this, and even with ACASs excellent support, the company only put forward an additional 0.75 per cent. 10 THE LOG Autumn 24 pp10-13 News Extra Bristow.indd 10 13/11/2024 14:17