Actually this ongoing action DOES have an effect on many things, the Union has, over the past months made serious attempts to get a working relationship going with management with a view to resolving outstanding issues and moving forward with negotiation of such insignificant matters as pay rises, etc etc.
The GC position has always been that full relations with CX would not be restored until such time as the position regarding the 49'ers has been settled................to this end the offer to settle.
This offer can be viewed in two ways:
1. Weakness on the part of the company, the usual bo##ox about, how they will never go to court, they cannot have the public see what terrible managers they are etc etc (Dream on boys, I think you'll find they are pretty happy!!!)
2. A realistic offer of settlement based on the Maximum award a court is likely to make plus a review of employment status that no court can award (I refer you to the previously stated Barristers Opinion, "If we won this offer in court, we'd be hailing it as a major victory")
Cost of the action is not the issue, the issue is why prolong the whole mess when a reasonable offer of settlement is on the table ??? Had the Union done what it should have done to support it's members and gone on strike the day these guys where terminated this discussion would not be neccessary!!!!!