Everybody will see different things in differnt pay offers - that's natural. So a democratic vote is the only way to resolve it. Simple majority wins - end of debate.
What, however, is always worth considering is what the alternative might be. An alternative without any collective representation would clearly have resulted in a pay freeze - full stop, and openly admitted by management.
Weak representation might have resulted in a per cent or 2, but certainly no more.
Would IPA, TG, or a locally organised group have produced anything different or, more significantly, better? I very much doubt it.
So the ony way, as I see it, is to unite behind the group that has reps elected by the group itself so that the collective strength is sufficient to exercise some influence over negotiations and the resulting deals.
Total control, and being able to constantly demand terms under constant threat of strike action is, in my personal view, ultimately ommercially damaging and desperately unsettling for the entire workforce. It's also airy fairy land.
I would like an extra 20% pay, min 20% company pension contribution, and 4 on 4 off with a min of 5 blocks of regular leave plus occasional days by negotiation however I obviously realise that it just ain't all realistically available (especially all in one go) and I have to prioritise my wish list and chip away little by little.
All stunningly boring..................but true!