I posted this on the thread in the NATS forum that has gone off topic....
You are all right when you say that at the moment with the current laws in place NATS cannot touch our pensions - and long may that reamin so. Yes they would have to keep up contribution.
However. When the "new pension staff" out weigh those of us in the current scheme by 1 NATS will be able to tailor any pay deals + T&C to suit the new people.
So if in the future a new pension comprises of say 3% NATS input and 15% staff input (just making up numbers here) and our old one stays at the same rates what do you think will happen when management puts a deal on the table that goes like this
1% on basic pay
plus a reduction in staff contributions to the new pension of say 3% and the company will increase their own contributions to make up the shortfall for 3 years.
In effect a 4% pay rise for everyone in the new scheme, but 1% for those of us in the old.
And it would get voted through.
Its not just the pension that we are talking about - it is splitting the company (again imho thankyouverymuch Banding)