The management cock-up imho is not from this pay talk, it is the years of not redressing the balance of wages. They are now reaping what they have sown. Historically VS has been financially raped by the hierachy.
I can't disagree with that
But the union has been less than hopeless during this dispute in letting it get this far because they didn't know what they were asking for, and recommending offers without realising the temperature of the people the supposedly represent.