Fórsa trade union, which represents pilots and winch crew at the Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue Aviation Service, will meet with officials from the Department of Transport today (Friday), about the union’s concerns in relation to the transfer of the State’s search-and-rescue contract to a new operator, Bristow Ireland Ltd.

The union contacted transport minister Eamon Ryan last week to express its concerns that the union was still waiting on confirmation from Bristow that pilots and winch crew would transfer in accordance with the 2003 EU Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) regulations.

In his response to Fórsa, the minister said his department “expects to see an orderly and seamless transfer of operations between both contractors,” a transition which he said is expected to take up to 24 months.

Fórsa national secretary Katie Morgan told the minister that, in the absence of any certainty on whether a TUPE process will apply as the new operator takes over, Coast Guard pilots and winch crew remain in an uncertain and precarious situation.

Katie added: “Given the urgency of the matter for pilots and winch crew at the Irish Coast Guard, and the precarious position our members are now facing, we would welcome your commitment to ensure TUPE will be applied as personnel transfer to the new contract holder, and to continue to provide this exemplary service to the State.”

The minister invited the union to meet with officials from the department to discuss the issue, and that meeting will take place later this morning, while a meeting with Bristow has been scheduled later in September.

In June this year CHC Ireland filed legal proceedings against the Government’s tendering process after it failed to secure a new contract, reported to be worth €670 million.