Anotherthing: Ha ha ha!! ATCO Towers a future controller-making strategy - I don't think NATS would think that far ahead!! Nor have they thought it fully through I fear!
And thank you for putting me straight as to the meaning and function of a spinner, I often wondered.
Me me me me: well said in your final paragraph! The total salary bill has to be found from within the business and it is often job cuts and greater pressure to work longer hours that is put upon those at the bottom end of the business that funds the top end pay rises.
Think on this - 3 ATCO's getting an extra £10k (2 if £15k) means that there are two less MSG7's to support the day to day running of the Ops room. (Not all support staff are ATSA's). Who will do your replays, LCE's etc? It is all too easy to bandy around what may seem like a relatively small figure (to you) that is the entire income of another just as important member of your own support staff. Rant over...