Here are the business stories making the headlines locally and across the country this morning.
Bristow helicopter bosses urge Aberdeen workers to stop strike action and restart pay negotiations
Bristow is appealing for its helicopter workers to stop their ongoing strikes and resume talks over a pay offer.
The firm, which has a base at Aberdeen International Airport, said it has tabled an 11% pay rise for workers.
Bristow provides helicopter transportation to energy customers, search and rescue (SAR) and aircraft support solutions to government and civil organizations.
Pilots and technical crew members begun strike action on May 7 and will continue across five weeks.
BT boss says telecoms group at ‘inflection point’ in turnaround
The new boss of BT has claimed that the telecoms group has reached an “inflection point” in its strategy.
As she presented her first set of full-year results, Allison Kirkby signalled her intention to continue the FTSE 100 company’s sometimes painful turnaround, setting out plans to cut costs still further, to monetise its newly built fibre network, to leave some markets and to focus more heavily on the UK.
The programme, along with news that BT has increased its annual dividend by 3.9% to 8p and expects to more than double its free cashflow to £3 billion by the end of the decade, drove a sharp rise in its share price, which was up by19½p, or 17.1%, to 132½p at the close.
A fall of 36% in the shares over the past five years had led a number of short-sellers to bet against the group and Kirkby told the Financial Times “she loved to prove them wrong”.
Mortgage rates cut but borrowing pressures remain
Several lenders are reducing their interest rates on new fixed mortgages on Friday, offering a glimmer of hope to hard-pressed borrowers.
Barclays, HSBC and TSB will cut rates slightly on new deals, but applicants still face much higher costs than many have become accustomed to.
New figures show that more people have been struggling to make repayments. The number of homeowners facing the first stage of the home repossession process has risen.
The effect is also being felt by tenants, charities say, as financially-squeezed landlords step up no-fault evictions.
UK's largest consumer-owned wind farm powering up in Scotland this month
The UK's largest consumer-owned wind farm is powering up in Scotland this month.
Kirk Hill Wind Farm in South Ayrshire - part owned by more than 5,600 people and small firms - will have the potential to power around 20,000 households and businesses.
The eight-turbine site, being pioneered by Ripple Energy, was funded via the £13.2m raised by members of the public and small businesses to build it in 2022.
Not only will the owners be able to power their homes with up to 100% green energy, contributing to efforts to tackle climate change, but they are also expected to save thousands of pounds on their electricity bills over the site's lifespan.