Those who think a strike over pensions would be successful need to take a reality check. It would quite likely play straight into the hands of Barron and I am sure that he would not hesitate when his back is against the wall to do a "Regan", with the governments blessings, in order to change some of the other T & C's that he doesn't like. This would effectively get NATS off onto a new and clean slate with T & C's in line with other business's, very handy should the government want to sell its 49% stake in NATS, as it did with BP and other companies, in order to enable NATS to be floated on the stock market. He would get massive support, helped by the media, from the public who would be only too willing to put up with a bit of discomfort in order to see a highly paid workforce with excellent T & C's brought into line with what they have to put up with. Baron would win and retire in a blaze of glory with all the millions he will have made from the flotation of NATS. All sound a bit far fetched ? Maybe, but everything that is happening at the moment including employee shares, rebranding, Moody's upgrading to A3, accounts published in line with IFRS, financial restructuring, all point to NATS being shaped up for a flotation. The pension scheme is the only hurdle left to tackle.
Not that a strike ballot would succeed anyway, just listening to peoples comments when this subject is raised in the coffee lounge, rest room and other places it is clear that the majority of people would not automatically vote for a strike. Combine this with the timing of things, the workforce just having moved, settling into new houses in new areas, younger members getting mortgages for the first time, getting used to the new workplace and its surroundings, creating a new circle of friends and social life, getting the children settled into new schools etc. Vote for a strike that you know you may not win and then suffer the financial consequences, with all that lot on your plate ? I don't think so.
My view is from an ATCO's perspective. ATSA's, Engineers and others would be insane to even consider striking.
Having said all of that I am vehemently against any changes to the perfectly good and well managed pension fund that we currently have. I just do not think a strike would help our cause. Strikes are very divisive and harmful to team environments such as ATC. Even now there is still some needle amongst older members over the 1981 action.
Baron should be proud of the company pension scheme and our T & C's and hold them up as a beacon of good practice that other companies should be striving to achieve, this should be part of the "showcase" (his word on the NATS website) that we can be proud of and leaders in that area, something other companies should be aiming for. Instead he wants to dumb everything down to the lowest level he can get away with, except for his own salary, pension and T & C's that is. His motivation is undoubtedly one of greed.
I do think Del Prado's idea is a good one to start with when things begin to get serious, which they probably will at some point.
I'll get me coat,
SATCO